J. T. Murphy

John Thomas Murphy (9 December 1888–13 May 1965), known as J. T. Murphy or Jack Murphy, was an English trade union organiser and Communist.

Biography

Early years

J.T. Murphy, best known by his nickname of "Jack," was born in 1888 and grew up near Sheffield and became a metal-worker. He became active in the Amalgamated Society of Engineers and was active in the Sheffield wing of the Shops' Stewards Movement, which emerged in engineering factories during the First World War.

Political career

Murphy joined the Socialist Labour Party (SLP) in 1916 and stood as a candidate in the 1918 General Election for the Gorton constituency in Manchester. He then participated in the communist unity discussions, and as a result split from the SLP, joining the Communist Party of Great Britain at its formation in 1920. He was a member of the Central Committee until he was expelled from the party in 1932. He was active in the National Minority Movement, a Communist-led united front within the trade unions, from its formation in 1924. In 1925 Murphy was one of twelve CPGB officials imprisoned for seditious libel and incitement to mutiny.

External links

• J. T. Murphy Archive, Marxists Internet Archive. Retrieved 31 August 2009.