William Gallacher: Red Clydeside MP’s 60th Anniversary
Local Hero; Abbey Books in Paisley Celebrates 60th Anniversary of Red Clydeside MP William Gallacher
Abbey Books in Wellmeadow St, Paisley, is commemorating the 60th anniversary of Paisley-born MP William Gallacher – a key figure in the Red Clydeside movement and one of only five Communist MPs to ever win a seat in Parliament – with a special window display.
Running until the end of August, the display will contain first editions of the politician’s own books and the architectural plans for a memorial statue, plus texts which influenced his life including works by Lenin and Stalin.
On his death on August 12, 1965, a reputed 60,000 people lined the streets to witness the passing of Gallacher’s coffin while another 2,000 attended the funeral proper.
A founding member of the Communist Party of Great Britain, he was born in Paisley on Christmas Day 1881, the son of a baker.
After his father died when he was seven, it was left to his washerwoman mother to keep the family together.
He first stood for election to Parliament in 1922, was imprisoned for his political beliefs in 1925, and banned from entering the United States.
He was elected MP for West Fife in 1935, a seat he retained for 15 years. He regularly clashed with Winston Churchill in the House of Commons.
Believed to be the first Paisley author to be published by Penguin, his The Case for Communism appeared in 1949; Penguin was so impressed with the content that it was the first book in a new series.
A second book Rise Like Lions was published by Lawrence & Wishart in 1951.
Abbey Books has signed copies of both books, marking a rare distinction at a time when book signing was far from the norm, and as a personal touch, one of them is also signed by his wife Jean.
“My father, who worked in the Clydebank shipyards, told me of how he’d seen William Gallacher speak, and my dad always spoke of him with awe,” said bookshop manager Brian Hannan.
“It feels like an honour for me to even hold his books in my hand, and I’m hoping that this display will encourage other people to stop by the shop and share their orn memories of him, or the memories passed-down by their families”
Gallacher lived in a two-room council house in 68 Rowan St, Paisley, famously never had a phone, and was regularly contacted via the nearest public telephone booth bearing the number THO 3255.
When he died, flags flew at half mast. “Paisley has never seen anything like it,” said Provost Tom Barbour at the time.
Queen’s Sculptor Alexander Stoddart was commissioned to make a statue of him – politician Tony Benn and football great Sir Alex Ferguson were among those who contributed to the fund.
A bronze bust was commissioned by the TUC from a Russian sculptor.
“It was something of a labour of love for me to collect as much information as I could about this important figure in Scottish political history, even more so because the bookshop provides me with a way to share these texts directly with the general public. said Hannan.
We will also have a memorial book available for visitors, who can record their own reflections on this remarkable man and his story, and I’m looking forward to finding out who else was brought up with recollections of who Gallacher was and what he did; he was a man ahead of his own time.’
William Gallacher is remembered with a display at Abbey Books, 21 Wellmeadow Street, Paisley PA1 2EF, open Tue-Sat 10.15am-5.15pm. For further information contact: Brian Hannan on 07946 278403 or via bh*******@*ol.com