Recalling some of St Helens' most well-known MPs

For ten years from 1935 William Robinson served as the Member of Parliament for St Helens.

Known as "the gas mask MP", Robinson received much publicity in 1941 when he wore his respirator during a Commons debate.

"I wanted to make a speech of five minutes or so with the mask on", he later told reporters. "I am sure everyone would have been able to hear what I said."

William Robinson was known as 'the gas mask MP' (Image: Daily Herald)

However, the Speaker of the House wanted nothing to do with the stunt and failed to call him to speak. On another occasion, Robinson was reported to have gone "cock-a-doodledo" while attempting to attract the Speaker's attention!

Robinson chose to retire from Westminster at the 1945 election and was succeeded as MP for St Helens by Hartley Shawcross. He will always be remembered as lead British prosecutor at the Nuremberg War Crimes tribunal.

Shawcross was praised for his work despite receiving death threats. One letter read: "How long do you think you will live? Wherever you go we will track you to the ends of the earth, you and your Jewish confederates."

As the country's Attorney General, Shawcross reached one of the highest positions in government of any St Helens MP.

Hartley Shawcross was lead British prosecutor at the Nuremberg War Crimes tribunal (Image: Stephen Wainwright)

In March 1948 it was reported that Sir Hartley had changed his views about the Russians and now thought them "sinister and deadly". In a speech the St Helens MP had said: "Two years ago I was violently pro-Russian – on the extreme left of my party. But I have seen what has been going on. I prosecuted the Nazis at Nuremberg. With my Russian colleagues, I condemned Nazi aggression and Nazi terror. I feel shame and humiliation now to see, under a different name, the same aims pursued, the same technique followed, without check."

On October 12 1951 The Guardian described how Sir Hartley had adopted a new style of electioneering in St Helens: "Amplifiers have been fitted to his car and he and Lady Shawcross talk politics as they visit the town's centres. “What do you think of such and such a thing?” asks Lady Shawcross, and Sir Hartley gives his answer. He plans to make what he calls the “conversation piece” an important feature of the campaign."

It was also reported that Joan Shawcross had jokingly said: "I have listened to 22 of my husband's speeches on his week-end election tour, and it is almost grounds for divorce for mental cruelty."

In 1959 Sir Hartley was ennobled and so far Baron Shawcross is the only ex-St Helens MP who has become a centenarian, dying in 2003 at the age of 101.

Leslie Spriggs is also a record holder with the 25-year-term that he served as St Helens'

parliamentary representative being the longest. The selection in 1958 of the 38-year-old Spriggs as prospective Labour candidate for St Helens was reported as a "complete surprise", as the railway guard was "virtually unknown". But Spriggs beat his Conservative opponent by 12,000 votes.

At Westminster Spriggs got involved with many causes, including attacking the Beeching railway cuts and campaigning against the horse slaughter trade.

In 1965 Leslie Spriggs received much publicity when an ambulance brought him to Westminster to take part in a crucial vote. The St Helens MP had suffered a heart attack and he came to Parliament accompanied by a doctor, nurses and oxygen cylinders.

Leslie Spriggs was the St Helens MP for 25 years from 1958 (Image: Leslie Spriggs)

During the 1970s Spriggs supported Sutton people in their campaign against pollution from Leathers Chemicals and he also gave strong support to the Hare Coursing Bill of 1975. That would prove to be Spriggs' last campaign as in March 1981 he announced that he would be standing down at the next election.

Leslie Spriggs was also the last person to represent the whole of St Helens as in 1983 the constituency was split into north and south divisions creating two MPs.

Stephen Wainwright's new book The Hidden History Of St Helens Vol 4 is available from the St Helens Book Stop and online from eBay and Amazon with free delivery.

Price £12. Vols 1 to 3 are also still available.