Alexander Haycock

[1] Prior to the outbreak of the First World War he had taken up residence in the United Kingdom, was working as a commercial traveller, and was a secretary and lecturer for Norman Angell's Neutrality League.

Haycock was chosen to contest the constituency of Salford West, and managed to unseat the sitting Conservative member of parliament, Lieutenant-Commander Frederick Astbury.

In front of a large crowd he played a game of bowls in Gorton Park and indicated his willingness to suffer imprisonment rather than pay a fine or be bound over.

Haycock and the majority of the Labour Party MPs refused to support the government, and he was heavily defeated by Frederick Astbury, running as a "National" Conservative, who became Salford West's MP for the third time.

[10] In January 1958 Haycock stood aside, feeling his position was very close to that of the TUC and the official Labour Party and he did not want to "score a goal for the other side".