Francis Alfred Broad

Who was Francis Alfred Broad?

Francis Alfred "Frank" Broad JP was a Labour politician in the United Kingdom who served as Member of Parliament for the Municipal Borough of Edmonton during the years 1922–1931 and 1935–1945.

One of the founder members of the Amalgamated Instrument Makers Trade Society, Broad was president when, in 1920, the union joined the Amalgamated Engineering Union. He remained a member of the AEU until his death, stating in the commons in 1931 that "... I have never been a paid officer of that union but I have 40 years membership in it". He joined the Independent Labour Party in 1893.

In July 1923, on the subject of birth control, Broad "... asked the Minister of Health whether his Department will raise any objection to birth control information being given at infant welfare centres to married women who desire it by voluntary workers attached to the centres, or otherwise to their being informed, on request, where such information can be obtained?". Mr Chamberlain replied that his "... view is that such information as is referred to should not be given at infant welfare centres, but that women for whom it appears to be needed on medical grounds should be referred to a private doctor or a hospital". In May 1924, Broad led a delegation of the birth control movement to the then health minister, Clydesdale MP John Wheatley. The delegates included H G Wells, the Hon. Mrs Bertrand Russell, Dr Frances Huxley, and others. Wheatley dodged the issue with the pronouncement "A clear distinction must be drawn between allowing access to knowledge, and actually distributing knowledge".