Tout began working in a cotton mill in Burnley at the age of ten, initially as a half-timer.
This activity gradually brought him to prominence, and in 1911, Tout was elected as the general secretary of the Todmorden Weavers' Association.
[1] Tout stood as a UTFWA-sponsored candidate in Oldham at the 1922 general election, winning the seat, and held it in 1923.
Out of Parliament, Tout retained his trade union posts until 1945, and remained secretary of the Todmorden Weavers until his death the following year.
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