14 Facts About Ben Parkin

Benjamin Theaker Parkin was a British teacher and politician who served as the Labour Party Member of Parliament for Stroud and for Paddington North.

Ben Parkin was educated at Wycliffe College, from which he went to Lincoln College, Oxford; he studied at Strasbourg University.

Ben Parkin became a teacher, and by the time of the outbreak of the Second World War was on the staff of his old college; he left to serve in the Royal Air Force as Flight-Lieutenant.

Shortly before the end of the Second World War, Ben Parkin was elected as the Labour Party MP for Stroud at the 1945 general election, becoming the first ever Labour MP for the constituency.

Ben Parkin was on the left wing of the party and was part of a delegation of Labour MPs who met Soviet premier Joseph Stalin in 1947; when he voted against the Ireland Bill, he was warned by the Chief Whip about his conduct.

At the 1950 general election, the Stroud constituency was abolished and Ben Parkin was narrowly defeated by only 28 votes at the new Stroud and Thornbury seat.

Ben Parkin contested the seat again at the 1951 general election, but lost again, this time by 1,582 votes.

Ben Parkin was chosen to replace Bill Field, who had resigned as the MP for Paddington North after a conviction for importuning.

Ben Parkin made another visit to the Soviet Union and one to the People's Republic of China in 1954.

Ben Parkin was strongly in favour of removing street prostitution and campaigned against drug abuse in his constituency.

Ben Parkin was vocal in calling attention to the misdeeds of property magnate Peter Rachman, and others like him, calling for a system of licensing of private landlords.

Ben Parkin alleged that Rachman's reported death was merely a ploy to escape further scrutiny.

Ben Parkin took up other housing issues, including overcharging by Westminster City Council when it took over local council housing in 1965.

In 1969, Ben Parkin died suddenly in his car while visiting his son's school in west London.