Leeds MP authors book on pioneering Yorkshire socialist

West Leeds MP John Battle, an English graduate of the University of Leeds, launched his book Tom Maguire: Socialist and Poet in the Brotherton Room at the University Library on Friday 28th February.

Born in 1856 into a poor Irish immigrant family living on Leeds' East Bank (between Richmond Hill and the River Aire), Tom Maguire became a political activist and theoretician of extraordinary inspirational and oratorial talent. He was consulted by leading social thinkers of the day, such as William Morris.

Maguire founded the Leeds branch of the Socialist League at the age of 20, co-founded the Labour Party's forerunner, the Independent Labour Party, and led the famous 1890 Leeds Gasworkers' Strike, which brought the city to a standstill under armed occupation, ending in victory for the workforce.

Tom Maguire died, aged 29, of pneumonia in a terrace close to where St James Hospital now stands. There was neither food nor coal in the house. He is buried in Beckett Street cemetery, and a plaque commemorating his life was installed recently at Leeds central bus station, near to the location of many of his rousing public speeches.

Maguire was a well-read and remarkable poet. His work was published in the leading socialist journals of the day, but has been out of print for nearly 100 years. The poems give great insight into the working class life of late nineteenth century West Riding.

John Battle's book features Maguire's major poems together with a lengthy introduction giving both the political and artistic background to his life and writing.

During his research for the book, John Battle made considerable use of the Mattison collection of rare pamphlets and correspondence, assembled by Alf Mattison, a personal friend of Tom Maguire. On Mattison's death the collection was acquired by Lord Brotherton, a political opponent of Mattison whom he nevertheless respected greatly, and it is now preserved in the Brotherton Library.

Tom Maguire: Socialist and Poet is published by Medium Publishing in association with The Ford Maguire Society, a Leeds based radical history group. It is available for £3.50 post free from The Secretary, The Ford Maguire Society, 37 Hollin Lane, Leeds, LS16 5NB.