Thomas Robinson (Stretford MP)

Sir Thomas Robinson KBE JP (2 January 1864 – 30 December 1953) was an English industrialist, Liberal politician and Member of Parliament, who late in his career sat in the House of Commons as an Independent.

He was a director of the Bradford Dyers Association Ltd and Chairman of the Allied Trades, Bleaching, Dyeing and Printing Industries of Lancashire, Cheshire and Yorkshire.

He was instrumental, together with ICI, in the design and development of the nylon/polyester futuristic spun fabric "MORADA" which proved ideal for lining garments.

[6] Robinson was mostly identified with the Liberal Party, but was successful in Parliamentary politics through a Liberal-Conservative pact and stood under the title Independent Free Trade and Anti-Socialist.

The Constitutionalists did not function as a party but fielded candidates in 1924 in constituencies where local Conservative and Liberal Associations collaborated against socialism.

[7] Many ended up in the Conservative Party, but Robinson preferred to continue to receive the Liberal whip up until the 1929 general election, when he stood formally as an Independent.

[14] Robinson entered Parliament at the 1918 general election when he was selected as Coalition Liberal candidate for his home Division of Stretford.

[10] Robinson held his seat at the 1922 general election, standing as a Lloyd George National Liberal, again in a straight fight with Labour.