Stafford Cripps

Nationality

United Kingdom

Date of Birth

1889

Date of Death

1952

Political
Preference

Labour

Richard Stafford Cripps was born in London in 1889 as son of a conservative MP. Cripps combined his work as leading patent lawyer with being a spokesman for left-wing Labour.

In 1939, Cripps protracted campaign for a united front against fascism had provoked his expulsion from the Labour Party. Having reached a dead end in domestic politics, he diverted his energies and talents to the arena of international politics. During World War II, he served as Ambassador to the USSR (1940 – 1942). The choice of Russia was natural, as Cripps had been a staunch supporter of that country and advocated a stronger alliance with Russia. The war eventually propelled Cripps back into domestic politics, and from 1942 onwards Cripps served as Minister of Aircraft Production in Churchill’s War Cabinet. In that position, he was handed a blueprint drafted by Adam von Trott zu Solz, a prominent member of the German resistance network known as the Kreisau Circle, through a transfer made possible by Willem Adolph Visser ‘t Hooft of the World Council of Churches in Geneva. This blueprint outlined detailed plans of the Kreisau Circle to create a new government in Germany after Hitler had been toppled and asked for the support of the British for those endeavours. It is uncertain whether Cripps ever actually forwarded the document to Churchill, but the reply of the British government came back negative, to the dismay of Von Trott.

In 1945, Cripps rejoined the Labour Party and after the war he served in the Attlee Cabinet, first as President of the Board of Trade and between 1947 and 1950 as Chancellor of the British Exchequer. In the latter position, Cripps was responsible for laying the foundations of British post-war economic development.

Although still a strong socialist, Cripps had modified his views sufficiently to be able to work with mainstream Labour ministers. He kept the wartime rationing system in place to hold down consumption during an ‘age of austerity’, promoted exports and maintained full employment with static wages.