Alfred Jephcott

Alfred Roger Jephcott JP (14 February 1853 – 14 March 1932) was a British engineer, trade unionist and Conservative Party politician from Birmingham. He sat in the House of Commons from 1918 to 1929.

Early life and family Jephcott was born in Coventry to working-class parents; his father was Thomas Jephcott. Having moved to Birmingham at an early age, he was educated at St Paul's School in Balsall Heath. He joined the Amalgamated Society of Engineers and was twice president of the Birmingham Trades Council.

By 1918 he was regarded as a leader of working-class conservatives in Birmingham, and was selected as the Unionist candidate for the Yardley division of Birmingham. At the election in December 1918 Jephcott, who stood as a coalition Unionist

Jephcott was returned at a further three general elections, on each occasion facing only a Labour Party opponent. Before the 1923 election, The Times newspaper reported that Jephcott "should have no difficulty in retaining the seat", but his majority was cut to 7%, but later expressed confidence in his chances, and he held the seat with a majority only slightly reduced to 6.4%. In May 1927, during a debate on the Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Bill, Jephcott stated that the difficulties faced by trade unions arose from the fact that they "gave up industrial action and took to political action". He said that he was ready to loyally support the Labour party in Parliament on industrial issues, but because he differed from the party on the disestablishment of the Church of England and on other matters he had not been allowed to be a Labour Party candidate.

In November of the following year, Jephcott seconded the motion on the King's Speech to Parliament. He was described at the time as "a strong constitionalist"

He did not contest the 1929 general election, when the seat was won by the Labour candidate Archibald Gossling.

Jephcott died in Birmingham on 14 March 1932, aged 79.