Frederick Messer

Sir Frederick Messer CBE (12 May 1886 – 8 May 1971) was an English trade unionist, Labour Party politician and animal welfare activist. He was a member of the House of Commons and Chairman of Middlesex County Council.

Life and Career

Messer was born in north London and was the son of a poor law officer. He was educated at Thornhill Primary School, Islington before entering an apprenticeship as a French polisher. He became one of the first members of the French Polishers Union. The situation was reversed when he regained the seat from Palmer at the next general election in 1935. He held the seat until its abolition in 1950, and was MP for the successor seat of Tottenham from 1950 until his retirement from parliament in 1959.

As well as serving in parliament, he was for many years a member of Middlesex County Council. For 15 years he was chairman of the Labour group on the council, and in 1938 was elevated to become an alderman.

Messer died in Croydon, aged 84.

Animal welfare

In 1954, Messer supported the Protection of Animals (Anaesthetics) Bill which had a second reading in the House of Commons. The Bill made it an offence to perform certain operations on cattle, cats, dogs and horses without the use of anaesthetics. The Bill had been prepared by the British Veterinary Association and received support from the National Farmers' Union, British Horse Society and the RSPCA. He was a member of the National Abolition of Deer Hunting Committee. In 1957, he introduced to Parliament the Protection of Deer Bill. The Bill prohibited the hunting with hounds of deer and proposed humane methods of control. The Bill was drafted in consultation with the League Against Cruel Sports and also received support from the RSPCA.

In 1959, Messer performed the commentary on a 25 minute film of deer being hunted in Britain.