James Roberts (trade unionist)

The Honourable James Roberts CMG
Member of the New Zealand Legislative Council
In office 17 June 1947 – 31 December 1950
16th President of the Labour Party
In office 1937–1950
Vice President	Jim Thorn (1937-38) James Barclay (1938-40) Gervan McMillan (1940-42) Arnold Nordmeyer (1942–50)
Leader	Michael Joseph Savage† Peter Fraser
Preceded by	Clyde Carr
Succeeded by	Arnold Nordmeyer
Personal details
Born	(1878-02-21)21 February 1878 Lissangle, Country Cork, Ireland
Died	4 February 1967(1967-02-04) (aged 88) Porirua, New Zealand
Political party	Labour Party

James Roberts CMG (21 February 1878 – 4 February 1967) was a New Zealand trade unionist, and was president of the Labour Party from 1937 to 1950.

Early life

He was born in Lissangle, County Cork, Ireland, in 1878 and arrived in New Zealand in 1901 or 1902. He was active in the Wellington Socialist Party, which Roberts and Robert Hogg kept from joining the local Social Democratic Party under the "Unity Scheme" in 1913. He was then opposed to political activity and the Labour Party, and challenged the primacy of the Labour parliamentarians. He was secretary of the New Zealand Waterside Workers Federation from 1915 to 1941 and the Alliance of Labour from 1920 to 1935.

Political career

He was on the Legislative Council from 17 June 1947 to 31 December 1950, being appointed by the Labour Government. He was on the Wellington City Council from 1950 to 1959. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1958 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Robers was one of the dominant figures of the Labour Party, serving as vice-president from 1934 to 1936 and 1950 to 1954, and national president between 1937 and 1950. He was called 'Big Jim' and 'the uncrowned King of New Zealand'.

Roberts died in Porirua in 1967; his wife had died in 1944.

References

• Obituary in Evening Post, 7 February 1967