Arthur Colegate

Who was Arthur Colegate?

William Arthur Colegate was a British Conservative Party politician who served in the House of Commons as a Member of Parliament from 1941 to 1945 and from 1950 to 1955.

Colegate studied at University College London, where he joined the Fabian Society and acted as a research assistant to Beatrice and Sydney Webb. He then became a civil servant, before moving to become a director of Brunner Mond and Company and British Overseas Stores. From 1925 to 1929, he served as President of the Industrial Property Committee of International Chamber of Commerce.

Abandoning his youthful ideology, Colegate joined the Conservative Party and unsuccessfully contested the Sowerby constituency at the 1929 general election, but he was elected for The Wrekin at a by-election in September 1941. He lost the seat at the 1945 general election, but was successful in Burton at the 1950 general election, holding his seat in 1951, and standing down at the 1955 general election.