British Labour politician, born at Muirkirk, Ayrshire, on the 29th of October 1855. He was educated at the Motherwell Ironworks school, and also at the Hutchesontown grammar school, Glasgow, afterwards becoming a metal worker. He was for many years active in the local politics of Glasgow and western Scotland, and formed the British Steel Smelters’ Mill, Iron, Tinplate and Kindred Trades Association for the betterment of the workers’ conditions, becoming its secretary. He unsuccessfully contested Gower (1900) and Preston (1903) but in 1906 was returned as Labour member for the Gorton division of Lancashire. In the House he spoke frequently on industrial questions, and was an earnest advocate of the establishment of conciliation boards for the prevention of trade disputes. When Mr. Arthur Henderson entered the Coalition Government in 1915, Mr. Hodge became acting chairman of the Labour party, and in 1916 himself entered the Government as Minister for Labour. In 1917 he became Minister of Pensions, but resigned this office in 1919.
