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Hugh Monckton-Milnes Liberal National Candidate Burnley 1945 Election

June 1945
various Burnley

Hugh Monckton-Milnes Liberal National Candidate Burnley 1945 Election

This envelope contained several cuttings between early June and election day of July 5th covering Major Milnes' adoption as the Liberal National candidate, his campaign, including his election address and photograph. The articles were very lengthy and are only given in summary.
2nd June 1945 Burnley's "Churchill" alliance adopts Liberal National." The Express reported on the joint meeting of the Liberal Association and the Conservative & Unionist Association when Major Hugh Herbert Monckton Milnes was unanimously adopted as the Liberal-Nationalist Candidate to fight the General Election in Burnley on 5th July 1945. Milnes thanked them for the honour and promised to do his best for Burnley, and although he was leaving shortly, he would soon be back and hoped to stay until Polling Day to get to know the Constituency. He agreed with other speakers that the election should not have been held until after the end of the war with Japan.
Major Hugh Herbert Monckton-Milnes of Timperley Cheshire, married with one child, was described as being a member of an old Liberal family. With an engineering and business management background, he was serving with the Royal Engineers in command of an experimental and research department on war weapons. Described as a cultured and fluent speaker with a quiet and sincere manner. His Grandfather was born in Manchester, his father was the director of a textile engineering firm and he was a member of the Church of England.
9th June 1945 they reported on his campaign plans and that rather than address lots of Ward meetings he preferred the personal touch and arrangements were being made for him to visit various work places, meet the teams when Burnley CC play Colne, visit the bed-ridden poor and hold surgeries for people to come and talk to him. In view of the paper shortage and post office staff shortages his election address was being sent one per household instead of one per voter. they also printed a photo of Mrs. Milnes who would shortly be coming to the town to assist him. Mrs. Evelyn Rosamund Travers Milnes nee Strachan, is Scottish, her father is a member of the London Stock Exchange Committee, and her grandfather was a Major-General in the Indian Army, she had served in the W.A.A.F. as an officer engaged in "secret work in the south of England during the whole of the Battle of Britain. " She speaks German and French.
16th June 1945 they reported on Major Milnes' visits to workplaces including Bank Hall Colliery where he was particularly interested in the Bevin Boys scheme and met one, David Ker, and afterwards lunched in the staff canteen. He had also visited the bed-ridden poor and vowed to improve their conditions. The previous day he had been received by Lord Shuttleworth at Gawthorpe Hall and other engagements included visiting the Derby game at Lowerhouse, and a tour of Victoria Hospital.
On 23rd June, the Express reported he would have to cancel some engagements to attend the funeral of the head of his family, the Marquis of Crewe. He was also unwell himself and although he addressed a meeting at the Mechanics Institute he only did so under a severe physical handicap and was receiving "M. and B. treatment". (Note: an early anti-biotic used to treat infections such as pneumonia). Milnes lost to the sitting Labour M.P. Mr. W.A. Burke, see BEenv6626 for images and report of Election Day and Declaration Day.

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