Born in East London, Vaughan began working at the age of eight, but remained at school part-time until he was thirteen.
[1] He focused on work for the CPGB over the next few years; when most of the leadership of the party was imprisoned before the UK general strike, he served as an acting member of its organisation bureau.
[5] That year, he stood for the general secretaryship of the ETU, but lost to Jimmy Rowan by 4067 votes to 730.
[6] In a surprise change of tactic, the CPGB stood Vaughan in Manchester Platting at the 1929 general election, where he took only 1.0% of the vote.
[7] He stood once more in Bethnal Green South West in 1931, falling to third with 17.4% of the votes cast.