Alfred James Dobbs (18 June 1882 – 27 July 1945) was a British Labour Party politician and trade unionist. He died in a car accident the day after he had been elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Smethwick. His one day as an MP remains the shortest term in the era after the Second World War.
Local politics and union career
Dobbs was born in Bozeat, Northamptonshire. between 1931 and 1936 as well as a magistrate.
After his time at the Leeds City Council, Dobbs worked as National Organiser for the Shoe Union 1936–1945. He was well known at senior levels of the Labour Party, a member of the National Executive Committee 1936–1945 and Chair of the Labour Party 1942–1943.
Dobbs stood for Parliament on several occasions, in Altrincham at the 1929 general election and in Leeds North East at the 1931 and 1935 general elections. Although there have been occasions when MPs were elected posthumously, Dobbs' term was the shortest actually served since World War II.
He was succeeded as MP for Smethwick by Labour's Patrick Gordon Walker, who held the seat for the next 19 years.
See also
- List of United Kingdom MPs with the shortest service