Percy Alden

Following his resignation from the Mansfield House Settlement, Alden remained involved in radical politics. In 1902 he became secretary of the National Unemployed Committee, and in 1903 joined The Rainbow Circle, a progressive discussion group of Liberals and Socialists. In the following year he was among a group of Circle members who helped form the British Institute of Social Service.^[2] In addition to being a member of the Liberal Party, Alden was a member of the Fabian Society.

At the 1906 general election, Alden was elected as Liberal MP for Tottenham,^[1][2] with a 21% swing from the Conservatives.

As an MP, he took a strong interest in civil liberties (pressing for Hindu interpreters in British prisons, for example), international issues and unemployment.^{[citation needed]}

Alden was re-elected for Tottenham in both the January 1910 and December 1910 general elections. His opposition to conscription in 1916, and support for conscientious objectors, brought him into conflict with some of his Liberal Party colleagues. When the party split into two factions in 1918, Alden was part of the anti-coalition Liberals led by H H Asquith. He was the party's candidate in the new seat of Tottenham North at the 1918 general election, where he was defeated by a Coalition Conservative.^[1][2]

In April 1919, Alden joined the Labour Party, but he was unsuccessful as the party's candidate at Luton at the 1922 general election.^[2]

A further general election was held in 1923, and Alden was elected as Labour MP for Tottenham South^[1] His return to parliament was to be brief, however, as he lost his seat when a further election was held in 1924.

Alden became disillusioned with the Labour Party when the First Labour Government led by Ramsay MacDonald had ended in failure. He instead returned to the Liberals in 1927, attracted by their policies on relieving unemployment.^[2] He did not re-enter active politics, devoting himself instead to charitable work. He was chairman of the Save the Children Fund, administered a number of educational trusts for the underprivileged and worked with groups for the relief of refugees.^[2]

Alden wrote a number of books on the subject of social reform, including The Unemployed – A Social Question, The Unemployable and Democratic England.^[1] Among other proposals, he was keen to see a rebalancing of England's population towards the land and away from the cities.^[2] He supported the garden city movement and land settlement, as well as putting a case for farm colonies to train the unemployed.^[2] He was knighted in 1933.^[1]

Alden died during the Second World War when a German V-1 flying bomb exploded in Tottenham Court Road on the morning of 30 June 1944.^[3] The missile came down at the junction of Howland Street and Tottenham Court Road and caused a large number of casualties.

A Percy Alden Scholarship, to enable a student to attend university followed by a year's training in social work, was established in his memory.^[2][4]

There is a monument to Alden at Balliol College, on the east wall of the Chapel passage.^[5]

An inscription in the chapel of Mansfield College, Oxford commemorates alumni killed in the Second World War, including Alden.

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Percy Alden

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Joseph Howard	Member of Parliament for Tottenham 1906 – 1918	Constituency abolished
Preceded by Patrick Bernard Malone	Member of Parliament for Tottenham South 1923 – 1924	Succeeded by Patrick Bernard Malone