Thomas Oakley (UK politician)

Thomas Oakley (1879 – 4 April 1936) was a British electrician and politician. He became a prominent working-class Conservative in St Pancras, and later served a single term in Parliament representing The Wrekin constituency. An energetic man, he devoted much of his time to work with the Hearts of Oak Benefit Society, a friendly society. In politics he campaigned for the abolition of betting duty and against the creation of the Horserace Totalisator Board.

Oakley was born in Prees, and brought up in Fauls near Whitchurch where his family had lived for several generations. However he left his native village early and found a job as a billiard ball marker at Shrewsbury. In 1900 he found a job with the London and North Western Railway, for whom he worked in Crewe and later as an electrician at the London and North-Western Hotel at Euston.

Moving to London, Oakley became involved in municipal politics in the Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras. In 1912 he stood as a Municipal Reform candidate for the borough council in ward no. 6 (which included Somers Town, together with King's Cross and St Pancras stations); he was defeated with 112 votes behind the lowest winning candidate. Later that year he was elected to St Pancras Board of guardians, and after re-election in 1919 he served as chairman of the board in 1921–22. Oakley again failed to be elected as St Pancras borough councillor for ward no. 6 in the 1919 elections.

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