Constituency : Islington West 1892-1918
Thomas unseated the Liberal Unionist Richard Chamberlain.
Thomas was born and educated in Ireland. He came to London in 1880 and worked as a tea merchant. He stood for Truro in 1886. In 1888 he appointed Ramsay Macdonald as his private secretary. He was a Methodist.
Thomas was a radical who supported Home Rule and the co-operative movement.
Thomas was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education by Campbell - Bannerman but Asquith did not keep him on.
In 1896 Thomas set up a co-operative dairy company in Ireland which is now Lakeland Dairies.
Thomas voted against the government during the Naval Scare of 1909. He put forward a motion to reduce the navy by 3,000 men.
Thomas held on to his seat with small majorities until 1918 when he was decisively defeated by the Coalition Unionist. The presence of Labour and NFDDSS ( discharged soldiers ) candidates probably ensured his defeat. Thomas had said he would support Lloyd George though he had previously opposed him and The Times noted that his idea of "support" was "to say the least peculiar".
Thomas had an estate in the Ulster county of Cavan and held the office of Lord Lieutenant there. He was subject to intimidation from the Unionist rebels.
Thomas wrote a number of papers on Irish economics.
He died in 1922 aged 71.
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