About John William Muir
Lived 1879 – 1931 (aged 51). John William Muir was a British politician and trade unionist.
John William Muir (15 December 1879 – 11 January 1931) was the editor of The Worker, a newspaper of the Clyde Workers' Committee, who was prosecuted under the Defence of the Realm Act for an article criticising World War I.
Born in Glasgow, by the early 1910s, Muir was the editor of The Socialist, the newspaper of the Socialist Labour Party. However, he resigned the post in 1914, as he was in favour of the war.
He became involved in the Shop Stewards' Movement and was a member of the Clyde Workers' Committee, an organisation that had been formed to campaign against the Munitions Act, which forbade engineers from leaving the works where they were employed. For publishing an article in The Worker entitled "Should the workers arm?", Muir was jailed for twelve months, alongside Willie Gallacher.
In 1917, Muir joined the Independent Labour Party and became close to John Wheatley. In the 1918 election, he stood for the Labour Party in Glasgow Maryhill but was unsuccessful. He won the seat in the 1922 general election and retained the seat in 1923. He lost his seat in the 1924 election after which he ran the Workers Educational Association until 1930.
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Important facts
People in John William Muir's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was John William Muir?
British politician (1879-1931)
When was John William Muir born?
John William Muir was born on 15 December 1879.
When did John William Muir die?
John William Muir died on 11 January 1931.
What was John William Muir's occupation?
John William Muir was a politician and trade unionist.
What nationality was John William Muir?
John William Muir was British.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: John William Muir
· DBpedia: John Muir (trade unionist)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John William Muir. https://biography.guide/john-william-muir/
MLA: "John William Muir." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-william-muir/.
Chicago: "John William Muir." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-william-muir/.
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