Myer Galpern, future MP

Myer Galpern was a Glasgow Town Councillor (ILP, Shettleston & Tollcross ward) in 1942. The son of Morris Galpern cabinet maker & Anna Talisman, both Jewish immigrants from Russia, Galpern was a moral and pacifist consicentious objector, believing if everyone shared his views there would be no war, would not help prosecute war but would do work under civil control strictly for civil purposes, when told tea heavily taxed for munitions he said he would give it up (1) , agriculture, forestry or land reclamation, (2); Galpern, Myer  aged 40, 5 Hamilton Drive, Largs, manager of own house furnishing business & Glasgow City Councillor, 20 years in politics and experience of Glasgow Corporation but no experience of agriculture, did volunary Air Raid Precautions (ARP) (3).  Appeal against land work or forestry given at Glasgow Tribunal allowed and varied to unconditional exemption, James Maxton MP said he was concerned with social service not himself and land reclamation decision was ‘trying to turn a good social worker and expert salesman into a secondary agricultural worker.' 

Galpern was doing voluntary ARP work (4).

His later career saw Galpern become a First Jewish Provost in Scotland 1958-60, Labour MP 1959 -79 & life peer as Baron Galpern 1979, lived 1/1/03 – 23/9/93.

(1) GLT 14/5/42  (2) DET 14/5/42 p3, DR 15/5/42 p3, SCO 15/5 p3 (3) EAT 30/7/42 (4) EEN 30/7/42 p3, SCO 31/7/42 p3, DR 31/7/42 p3