Percy Collick

Who was Percy Collick?

Percy Henry Collick was a British Labour Party politician and trade union official.

Originally a railway fireman with the Southern Railway, he was a member of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen, serving as organising secretary from 1934 to 1940 and assistant general secretary from 1940 to his retirement in 1957.

He was an unsuccessful candidate at the 1929 general election in the safe Conservative constituency of Reigate in Surrey, coming third with 20.9% of the votes. He stood again in Reigate at the 1931 general election, when there was no Liberal candidate, and he came second with only 17.3% of the vote, a Conservative majority of over 65%. He did not contest the 1935 general election.

In the Labour landslide at the 1945 general election, he was elected as Member of Parliament for the Merseyside constituency of Birkenhead West, overturning the previous Conservative majority of 3,753 with a swing of 13.2%.

His constituency was abolished in boundary changes for the 1950 general election, and he was returned for the new Birkenhead constituency. He held the seat until he retired from the House of Commons at the 1964 general election.