Alexander Wilkie

Biography

Alexander Wilkie was born in Fife in 1850 and prior to his political career was a ship carpenter. Wilkie was known for his work in the Labour movement serving as general secretary of the Ship Constructive and Shipwrights Association. He helped to form Labour Representation Committee and visited the United States of America as a member of the Mosely Commission in 1902.

He unsuccessfully contested the Sunderland constituency at the 1900 general election, but was elected to the House of Commons at the 1906 general election as one of the two Members of Parliament for Dundee. Wilkie's election has been argued to be an important part of a broader process of political change in Dundee which saw the city's electorate move from supporting the Liberal Party to supporting the Labour Party.

While MP for Dundee, Wilkie was a Trustee of both University College, Dundee and the Dundee Technical College and School of Art. He also contributed to The Tocsin a monthly periodical that backed the Labour Party in Dundee which was edited by Joseph Lee.

From 1908 to 1922 his colleague as MP for Dundee was the Liberal Winston Churchill. At the 1918 general election both Wilkie and Churchill were supported by the local Unionists, as well as their own party organisations. In Wilkie's case this reflected both the fact that his political views had moved to the right since 1914 and his support for British involvement in the Great War. The Glasgow Herald noted in 1918 that Wilkie had 'never been regarded as a rabid socialist' and had won support from many Liberal voters in the past owing his 'moderate' opinions.

It was reported in 1920 that Wilkie would retire at the next general election. Wilkie then stood down at the 1922 general election.