Syd Bidwell

Sydney James Bidwell (14 January 1917 – 25 May 1997) was a British Labour politician.

Sydney Bidwell
Member of Parliament for Ealing Southall, previously Southall
In office 31 March 1966 – 16 March 1992
Preceded by	George Albert Pargiter
Succeeded by	Piara Khabra
Personal details
Born	14 January 1917 Southall, Middlesex, United Kingdom
Died	25 May 1997 (aged 80) London
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour
Spouse(s)	Daphne Peart
Occupation	MP
Profession	Politician

Bidwell was a railway worker on the Great Western Railway and became a tutor and organiser for the National Council of Labour Colleges. He went on to become the London Regional Education Officer for the TUC. Having joined the Labour Party in his youth, in the 1940s he was also a member of the Trotskyist Revolutionary Communist Party.[1] He was a councillor on Southall Borough Council 1951–55.

Bidwell contested East Hertfordshire in 1959 and South West Hertfordshire in 1964. He was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Southall at the 1966 general election, and was elected for the largely similar seat of Ealing Southall in 1983.

Whilst in Parliament, he saw through a bill to exclude Sikhs from being forced to wear crash helmets on motorbikes.

Before the 1992 general election, Bidwell was de-selected as a candidate at the age of 75. When his appeal to the Labour National Executive Committee failed, he decided to stand as a "True Labour" candidate, but finished third behind the official Labour candidate Piara Khabra, with 9% of the vote.

References

1. Sid Bidwell, "National Council of Labour Colleges", International Socialism No.12 (1963)

• Buchan, Janey (28 May 1997). "Obituary: Sydney Bidwell". The Independent. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
• Sydney Bidwell's parliamentary record: from 'Hansard
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
• Account of Bidwell's victory on turban-wearing

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Syd Bidwell