John Minto

John Minto (18 November 1887 – 30 May 1965) was a Scottish politician, active in England.

Life and career Born in Kilmarnock, Minto left school at the age of 11, and completed an apprenticeship as an engineer, finding work in the shipyards. He joined the Independent Labour Party (ILP) in 1906, and worked closely with Jimmy Maxton. He was secretary of the Kilmarnock ILP in 1909, and president in 1910. During World War I, he served in the Royal Engineers, working on searchlights.

Minto struggled to find work after the war, and relocated to Leicester in 1919, where he served as secretary of the city's unemployed workers' committee. He later found work with the Leicester Co-operative Society, and joined the Amalgamated Engineering Union. In 1922, he was elected to Leicester City Council. He stood for the Labour Party in Bosworth at the 1924 general election, 1927 by-election and 1929 general election, coming only 271 votes from victory in 1927.