Joseph Leckie - Parliament

Parliament

Leckie was Chairman of Walsall Liberal Association from 1912-1931 and in 1931 he was chosen to be Liberal candidate for Walsall at the general election. This was the election following the formation of the National Government under Ramsay MacDonald. An agreement was made with the Conservatives, and Leckie got a free run against the sitting Labour Member of Parliament (MP) John McShane. When the Liberal Party withdrew from the National Government after the general election and divided into those who supported the coalition and those against, Leckie stayed with the National Liberal group led by Sir John Simon. He stood as a Liberal National again at the 1935 general election and was returned with a majority of 8,969 votes. The by-election in Walsall which followed Leckie’s death resulted in a win for the Liberal National (government) candidate Sir George Schuster.