Paës Lauranne
3G

Assignement

Jones. Does that name ring a bell? Probably and unfortunately not. Yet, this is certainly not competence that lacked to this man who aspired to a successful political career. Sadly, it didn’t happen this way.

Born on 20th August 1873 in a village, Jones seems to live peacefully at first. He even got married on 3rd May 1903. Life was smiling upon him. Besides, his beginning career was going well as various newspapers articles and letters from party leaders dating from the 1906 election show. He was definitely regarded then as a rising politician. This may have pushed Jones to work harder and make him consider higher ambition. It is probably the time when he made his name and met important people. And they seem to trust him as he was notably in charge of important missions. What is sad is that he won’t be rewarded neither recognized for his hard work. As an example, Jones created the Labour Exchanges Act and nobody knows it! The Prime Minister wrote in a letter to him dated 9th December 1909 “Although the world has not yet had the chance to appreciate your invaluable labour, I shall always remember that you, my dear Jones, were the true progenitor of the Act”.

Was he frustrated or happy, we will never know. This may be anyway his only period of “glory” in his life. After that, things are going rather badly. His marriage seems doomed as he divorced in March 1911. Furthermore, his wife seemed to have taken many advantages out of it. This might be explaining the purchasing of ten bottles of brandy a week for 15 years.

Eventually, during the First World War, he may have won everything if he managed to do well. Sadly, from standard parliamentary sources, we know that Jones will never achieve office as he totally faded out of politics during the war. What he did the rest of his life remains unknown. But if he can be remembered for his participation in the political history of Britain, that’s good for him – and it would have