Clement Richard Attlee Biography and Timeline

Birth of Clement Richard Attlee

Birth of Clement Richard Attlee in Putney, London

Haileybury House

From 1906 to 1909 Attlee works as a manager of Haileybury House, a charitable club for working-class boys

Role range: 1906-1909

Independent Labour Party

Joins the Independent Labour Party

Toynbee Hall

Works as secretary for Toynbee Hall

National Insurance Act Lectures

Tours Britain explaining the new National Insurance Act.

Official Public Information Tour

Builds political experience through public lectures on social reform.

National Insurance Act

Tours the country as an official explainer for David Lloyd George's National Insurance Act

London School of Economics Lectureship

Begins lecturing in social science at the London School of Economics.

Role range: 1913-1923

Social Science Teaching

Combines academic teaching with social work and Labour politics.

Role range: 1913-1923

London School of Economics (LSE)

Appointed Lecturer in social science at the London School of Economics

Role range: 1913-1923

Captain

During World War I, Attlee was given the rank of captain and served with the South Lancashire Regiment in the Gallipoli Campaign in Turkey

Captain

During World War I, Attlee was given the rank of captain and served with the South Lancashire Regiment in the Gallipoli Campaign in Turkey

Role range: 1914-1918

Major

Appointed the rank of Major, and continued to be known as "Major Attlee" for much of the inter-war period

Major

Appointed the rank of Major, and continued to be known as "Major Attlee" for much of the inter-war period

Role range: 1914-1918

Mayor

Attlee returns to local politics becoming Mayor of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney

Role range: 1919-1920

The Social Worker

Writes his first book, "The Social Worker", sets out many of the principles of his political philosophy

Election

Elected Member of Parliament for Limehouse in Stepney

Member of Parliament

Elected Member of Parliament for Limehouse in Stepney

Parliament

Elected Member of Parliament for Limehouse in Stepney

Parliamentary Private Secretary

Serves as Ramsay MacDonald's Parliamentary Private Secretary for the 1922 Parliament

Role range: 1922-1924

Under Secretary of State for War

Appointed Under Secretary of State for War

Role range: 1924-1924 – 1924-1924

General Strike

Attlee opposes the 1926 General Strike, believing that strike action should not be used as a political weapon

Rule of India

Appointed a member of the multi-party Simon Commission, a Royal Commission set up to examine the possibility of granting self-rule to India

Role range: 1927-1930

Simon Commission

Appointed a member of the multi-party Simon Commission, a Royal Commission set up to examine the possibility of granting self-rule to India

Role range: 1927-1930

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

Appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

Role range: 1929-1931 – 1929-1931

Election

George Lansbury and Attlee were among the few surviving Labour MPs who had served in Government

Party Leader

Attlee served as acting leader for nine months from December 1933, after Lansbury fractured his thigh in an accident

Role range: 1933-1934

Armament

Moves that increased arms budgets are at variance with the League of Nations

Role range: 1935-1955

Election

Attlee is opposed by Herbert Morrison and Arthur Greenwood. With a general election looming, the Parliamentary Labour Party appoints Attlee as interim leader with a leadership election after the general election

Role range: 1935-1955

Election

Attlee led Labour through the 1935 general election, which saw the party stage a partial recovery from its disastrous performance in 1931, gaining over one hundred seats

Role range: 1935-1955

Election

In the post-election leadership contest held in November 1935, Attlee was opposed by Herbert Morrison and Arthur Greenwood

Role range: 1935-1955

Labour Party Conference

George Lansbury, a convinced pacifist, resigned as leader at the 1935 Labour Party conference, after the party voted in favour of sanctions against Italy for its aggression against Abyssinia

Role range: 1935-1955

Party Leader

George Lansbury, a convinced pacifist, resigned as leader at the 1935 Labour Party conference, after the party voted in favour of sanctions against Italy for its aggression against Abyssinia

Role range: 1935-1955

Party Leader

Attlee came first in both the first and second ballots and retains the leadership

Role range: 1935-1955

Party Leader

Appointed Leader of the Opposition

Role range: 1935-1955

Austria Questions

Challenges the government over the deterioration of Austrian independence under German pressure.

Foreign Policy Debate after Eden Crisis

Criticises the government's foreign-policy direction during the crisis surrounding Anthony Eden's departure.

Foreign Affairs Debate on Collective Security

Presses Labour's case for collective security rather than bilateral concessions to the fascist powers.

Debate on the Annexation of Austria

Criticises the failure to deter German expansion after the Anschluss.

Foreign Affairs Debate after Anschluss

Argues that the Austrian crisis shows the danger of relying on concessions without an effective system of collective security.