Stanley Evans

During the Suez Crisis, Evans broke from the party line and supported the Conservative government's policy, which led his local association successfully to press him to resign from Parliament.

[4] Evans was chosen as Labour Party candidate for Wednesbury to follow John Banfield, who died at the end of May 1945 while still in post.

[8] Evans was a supporter of economic planning who was very conscious of his origins in the industrial midlands of England; in a debate in February 1946 he declared to laughter and cheers that "the elbow grease would be forthcoming from those who had always saved Britain – the common people, the best bred mongrels in the world".

At his first press conference on 17 March, a fortnight into his job, Evans warned that Britain "must be careful not to cosset any section of the population at the expense of the community as a whole".

[14] He had a tough debut on the front bench of the House of Commons on 3 April 1950 when he made a statement about Commonwealth sugar negotiations.

Many Members of Parliament thought that the West Indies had been treated discourteously and the Leader of the House of Commons Herbert Morrison had to come to the aid of the junior Food Minister.

The National Farmers Union had protested and the Minister (Maurice Webb) had to give an assurance to them that the Ministry would fail if it did not assist food producers.

[16] The National Farmers Unions of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland immediately responded in a joint statement expressing their amazement and giving detailed figures to refute his argument.

[24] When speaking at the outbreak of the Suez Crisis, Evans was critical of the lack of American support for what he described as the British crusade against totalitarianism.

[25] As the situation became more grave, Evans pressed Prime Minister Anthony Eden to withhold military action until Parliament had debated it.

After several local organisations sent in resolutions strongly condemning his action, the Wednesbury divisional Labour Party called a meeting to discuss his future on 17 November.