Bill Lauchlan
William Lauchlan (10 May 1916 – November 2010) was a Scottish communist activist.
Educated to secondary school level,[1] A Plasterer to trade, Lauchlan joined the Independent Labour Party in Irvine, Ayrshire 1933, then in 1935 switched to the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB).[2] He quickly rose to prominence, serving as Lanarkshire Organiser in the 1940s,[3] then becoming Scottish District Secretary in about 1951,[4] then in the 1960s served as National Organiser.[1]
He was also active on Glasgow Trades Council, and in 1946 represented it at the Scottish Trades Union Congress.[4]
Lauchlan stood for the CPGB in Glasgow Govan at the 1950 UK general election, then in West Fife in 1951, 1955, 1959 and 1964, although he was never elected.[1] Following his retirement from being a full-time officer within the CPGB, Lauchlan returned to Glasgow in 1968 and worked for Scottish Homes in Glasgow and Edinburgh until his retirement in 1981. In retirement, he worked as a Volunteer with the Citizens Advice Bureau in Livingston, having moved to the New Town in West Lothian/Midlothian in 1972.
References
- 1 2 3 The Times House of Commons (1964), p.214
- ↑ The Times House of Commons (1950), p.199
- ↑ The Word, Vols. 2-8, p.40
- 1 2 The Times House of Commons (1951), p.199
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Gollan |
Secretary of the Scottish District of the Communist Party of Great Britain 1947 – 1956 |
Succeeded by Gordon McLennan |
| Preceded by John Gollan |
National Organiser of the Communist Party of Great Britain 1956 – 1966 |
Succeeded by Gordon McLennan |
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