Thursday, 26 July 2018
1978 Graham White
Constituency : Birkenhead East 1922-24, 1929-45
Graham produced another excellent result for the Asquithians, coming from third place in 1918 to take the seat from the Unionist though he was helped by Labour's withdrawal.
Graham was educated at Birkenhead School and Liverpool University. He became a member of Birkenhead Town Council in 1917. Graham was prepared to support Lloyd George in 1918 but the Conservative received the coupon.
Graham was a firm internationalist and served on the Executive Committee of the League of Nations Union.
Graham increased his majority in 1923 but Labour's intervention cost him the seat in 1924. He managed to recapture it in 1929 in a close three-cornered contest.
In 1930, Graham was a member of the Indian Round Table Conference. When the National Government was formed in 1931 he became Assistant Postmaster-General. The Tories did not field a candidate against him in the election and he had a crushing victory. Graham followed Samuel in quitting the National Government and going into opposition. He easily held on in 1935 when the Tories re-entered the fray.
Graham declined to be the Liberal whip in 1935. He served on parliamentary committees on rent, national expenditure, naval welfare and broadcasting. In 1945 he visited Buchenwald concentration camp.
In 1945 Graham was defeated by Labour. He came third in the new Bebington seat in 1950. He was President of the Liberal Party in 1954-55. He continued to serve on a number of public bodies.
He died in 1965 aged 84.
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