Eddie Loyden

Edward Loyden, known as Eddie Loyden, (3 May 1923–27 April 2003), was a British Labour politician.

Loyden was Member of Parliament (MP) for Liverpool Garston from February 1974 until he lost the seat to the Conservatives in May 1979. However, favourable boundary changes allowed him to be re-elected in 1983, and he remained MP for Liverpool Garston until he retired in 1997.

Early years he was born in 1923 into a large working class family living in Portland street off Vauxhall road Liverpool.His father Patrick was a Van Driver for Tate and Lyle and he became a member of the newly formed Transport and General Workers Union. On leaving School Eddie worked for a cobblers on the famous Scotland road area of Liverpool.From a very young age like many other young men from the area he wanted to be a seafarer and he would often cycle to the docks to try and get work.At the age of fifteen he got employment as a deck boy on a coaster leaving his bike at the docks. His mother new nothing of his new found employment until she recieved a telegamme from the Company. He was in trouble when he returned home a few days later where miraculously his old bike remained on the Dock side.

Politics

He spent the second world war in the Merchant Navy and saw many friends perish at sea.Following the war years he was gainfully employed by the Mersey Dock and Harbour Board and soon became active in the Port Trade Unions. He became chairman of his branch of the Powers Workers Union later to become part of the Transport and General Workers Uniion. He joined the Labour Party and was elected to Liverpool City Council in 1960.His maidon speech focussed on th plight of the unemployed and the dreadful housing conditions in the City of Liverpool. He played a titanic role in the seamans strike of 1966 and stood steadfastly with the strikers that Harold wilson denigrated as a "tightly knit group of politically motivated men". In 1974 Eddie with a small majority was elected MP for the Garston area of Liverpool a former traditional Tory seat. He lost the seat to Malcom Thorton in 1979 and went on to be elected as City Councilor for the St Mary's ward Garton going on to become deputy Leader of the City Council.In 1983 he was duly re elected to Parliament with a vastly increased majority. He was instrumental throughout the 1980'and 90's in supproting the families of the lost seamen of the "Derbyshire" and fought for justice for this cause.

He continued to represent the people of Garston until he retired in 1997.

Eddie sadly died in 2003 from Alsiemers,

References

• Times Guide to the House of Commons, Times Newspapers Limited, 1979, 1992 and 1997 editions.
• Political obituaries, The Guardian.