Burns, John Elliot

Engineer and pioneer of the Labour movement in England. FH says they became friends circa 1900 through the South African war. Burns was noted for carrying a large red flag at open air meetings; he became first an MP then later a cabinet minister, the first working man to do so. At the start of the First World War he resigned as President of the Board of Trade in protest.

FH said he 'rated him far above most of the politicians, though he never reached any originality of thought'.