S. M. Holden
| S. M. Holden | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Servetus Mortimer Holden 29 August 1862 Oswaldtwistle, England |
| Died | 1 December 1943 (aged 81) Huncoat, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Journalist and political activist |
| Organization | National Prohibition Party |
Servetus Mortimer Holden (29 August 1862 – 1 December 1943) was a British journalist and political activist. The only Parliamentary candidate ever put forward by the National Prohibition Party, he was associated with the labour movement and campaigned on old age pensions throughout his career.
Born in Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire to family involved in trade unionism in the cotton industry, Holden left school at the age of seven to deliver newspapers. Over time, he worked as a newsagent, journalist and owner of the Accrington Advertiser. He claimed to be a founder member of the Independent Labour Party (ILP), and certainly organised a large meeting in Accrington which led to the creation of a local branch, although shortly before Holden's death, Francis Johnson denied that Holden was in fact a founder member of the party. In 1899, Holden launched a national weekly newspaper, the British Socialist News, although this was not a success.
During 1906, Holden briefly worked for two national newspapers, being appointed as Parliamentary Labour correspondent for the Daily Mail, and contributing a "Labour Notes" column for Reynolds' News. He lost a court case in 1910 against the Accrington Observer and Times, which accused him of copying its stories.
In his twenties and thirties, Holden was a keen cricketer, playing for Accrington Cricket Club and occasionally for other teams in the Lancashire League.
At the 1906 general election, Holden stood in Accrington. He described himself variously as the official Parliamentary Labour Party candidate, and as an ILP candidate, but he did not actually receive the backing of either the party and so funded his own campaign as an independent. His campaign focused on introducing old age pensions and a minimum wage of 30 shillings per week. He took third place in the election, with 619 votes.
...
Wikipedia