Thomas Burt PC (12 November 1837 – 12 April 1922)[1] was a British trade unionist and one of the first working-class Members of Parliament.

Burt stood as a Radical labour candidate with Liberal support and formed part of a small group of Liberal–Labour politicians in the House of Commons in the 1880s and 1890s.

After the 1892 General Election, William Ewart Gladstone appointed Burt as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade, in which capacity he served until 1895.

With only approximately two years schooling and at the age of 17 Burt decided "how utterly ignorant I was and when I was seized with an eager desire for knowledge and mental improvement".

[12] Burt stood on a Radical reform platform, he believed that the franchise should be extended and this would lead to the election of reform-minded MPs.

He called for universal suffrage, which would include women, reapportionment of districts to provide roughly the same number of voters in each constituency, shorter duration of each Parliament and payment of MPs.

After his election as MP, Burt was to split his time between London and his duties as representative for the Borough of Morpeth and Newcastle and his union role.

[18] On 12 November 1987 on the 150th anniversary of his birth, Dr Eric Wade of the Open University gave the memorial address 'Thomas Burt: His Life and Ideas'.

The building - in Northumberland Road, Newcastle upon Tyne and now used by Northumbria University - was opened in 1895 and bears a plaque stating the hall 'was built by the miners' in recognition of valuable service rendered by Thomas Burt M.P.