AN autobiography written by a Cowling-born Labour Party pioneer has been republished to mark a milestone.

Britain’s Iron Chancellor: Philip Snowden, An Autobiography has been released to commemorate the centenary of the first Labour Government.

The book, originally penned by Snowden in 1934, has been edited by historian Alexander Clifford.

Viscount Philip Snowden was acclaimed as one of the most influential figures in early-20th-century British politics, and particularly in the early development of the Labour movement.

He served in various capacities, ranging from a Keighley councillor in 1899 to Chancellor of the Exchequer in the first two Labour governments.

He died in 1937.

A spokesperson for the publisher, Pen & Sword, says: "Philip Snowden was a proud Yorkshireman, a founding father of the Labour Party and its first Chancellor of the Exchequer, but eventually was seen as a traitor by the movement he did so much to build.

"He came to socialism in the 1890s and helped build Labour from a fringe sect into a governing party.

"Snowden was Labour’s undisputed economic expert for decades, but would be expelled from the party for joining Ramsay MacDonald’s controversial National Government in 1931.

"He was strong-willed and straight-talking, and caustic and biting in his criticism, but warm in friendship.

"He earned the moniker ‘Iron Chancellor’ after doggedly standing up to the French during tense negotiations.

"Snowden's autobiography is one of the most readable memoirs of the period, packed with his characteristic wit and sarcasm.

"His portrait of his youth in the rural Yorkshire of the 1870s is a unique window into a lost world, whilst his narrative of the pioneering days of the Labour movement is passionate and vivid.

"His story is both an absorbing account of a fascinating time, and an invaluable source for students and scholars."

Visit pen-and-sword.co.uk/Britains-Iron-Chancellor-Hardback/p/51024 for more details.