Philip Snowden, Viscount Snowden, of Ickornshaw (July 18, 1864 - May 15, 1937) was a British politician, and the first Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Born in Yorkshire, the son of a weaver, Snowden joined the Liberal Party as a young man, but soon became a convert to socialism and left the Liberals to become an active member, firstly of the Social Democratic Federation, then later, of the Independent Labour Party.
In 1905 he married Ethel Annakin a prominent member of the suffragette movement. Snowden supported his wife's ideals and he became an noted speaker at suffragette meetings and other public meetings.
Snowden served as Member of Parliament for Blackburn from 1906. During the First World War, Snowden stuck to his pacifist principles offering his support to conscientious objectors. As a consequence of his anti-war sentiments he lost his seat in the 1918 general election. In 1922 he was re-elected to the house to represent Colne Valley.
Upon Ramsay MacDonald's election victory of January 1924 he was appointed as the Labour Party's first ever Chancellor of the Exchequer. He lost his position in November of the same year when the Conservativess were re-elected to government.
Snowden returned to government with Ramsay MacDonald's victory in May 1929 and was again appointed Chancellor. His economic philosophy was one of strict Gladstonian Liberalism rather than socialism and he was consdiered by many at the time and since as being the principle opposition to the government following any radical economic policy to tackle the Great Depression as well as blocking proposals to introduce protectionist tariffs. The government eventually collapsed over arguments about a budget defecit. Snowden retained the position of Chancellor during the National Government of 1931. As a consequence he was expelled from the party along with MacDonald, and Jimmy Thomas. Snowden decided not to stand for parliament in the election of November 1931. He was created Viscount Snowden of Ickornshaw and served as Lord Privy Seal from 1931 to 1932 when he resigned in protest at the enactment of a full scheme of Dominion preference and protectionist tariffs. He subsequently wrote his Autobiography in which he bitterly attacked MacDonald. In the 1935 General Election Snowden supported a radical economic programme proposed by Lloyd George, despite it being a complete repudiation of Snowden's own record. He died on May 15, 1937.
