page_title: Frank Tudor
section_title: Leader of the Opposition
hierarchical_section_title: Frank Tudor / Leader of the Opposition
caption_attribution_description: English: Caricature of Frank Tudor, leader of the Australian Labor Party 1917-1922
context_page_description: Francis Gwynne Tudor was an Australian politician who served as the leader of the Australian Labor Party from 1916 until his death. He had previously been a government minister under Andrew Fisher and Billy Hughes.
  Tudor was born in Melbourne to Welsh immigrant parents. He left school at a young age to enter the workforce, serving an apprenticeship in the felt hat industry and later studying his trade for periods in England and the United States. He became involved in trade unionism in England, and after returning to Australia served as president of the Felt Hatters' Union. Tudor was elected president of the Victorian Trades Hall Council in 1900. The following year, he was elected to the new federal parliament as a representative of the Labor Party. He was chosen as the parliamentary party's first whip, and held that position until entering cabinet in 1908.
  Tudor served as Minister for Trade and Customs from 1908 to 1909, 1910 to 1913, and 1914 to 1916, in the governments of Andrew Fisher and Billy Hughes. He remained loyal to the Labor Party during the split over conscription in 1916, and was elected party leader after Hughes' expulsion.
context_section_description: Tudor led his party to a landslide defeat at the 1917 federal election. The ALP won just 22 seats out of 75, and the party was severely weakened by several of its senior figures following Hughes out of the party. Tudor was a leader of the successful "No" campaign at the 1917 conscription referendum. He was not regarded as a good public speaker, and his speeches were often seen as dull or confusing.
  While Tudor was respected within the ALP for his loyalty, he was often overshadowed by T. J. Ryan, the charismatic premier of Queensland. Ryan was the only remaining ALP premier in the country, and frequently campaigned outside his own state. In May 1918, Tudor had to officially deny a report in The Age that he would step aside in favour of Ryan prior to the next federal election. There was also some speculation that Fisher – who had been appointed High Commissioner to the United Kingdom – would return and resume the leadership. In May 1919, their former cabinet colleague King O'Malley wrote to Fisher in London that "many people are of the opinion that Labor will not win the next election under Tudor's leadership".
  In October 1919, the ALP Federal Conference passed a resolution inviting Ryan to enter federal politics and appointed him as national campaign director. Tudor was "unconsciously insulted" by a number of delegates, who effectively declared that he could not lead Labor to an election victory. His leadership was defended by his supporters in the Victorian delegation, who threatened a walkout, and also by those who viewed the resolution as usurping the role of the party caucus in choosing their leader.
  At the election later that year, Tudor led the ALP to a second heavy election loss – 26 seats out of 75. He was twice taken ill during the campaign with "attacks of hemorrhage". Tudor was increasingly seen as an ineffectual leader, and several elements were contemplating replacing him with Ryan. However, Ryan's early death in 1921 prevented him from taking Tudor's place. Tudor's own health became markedly worse during 1921, and he was increasingly unable to carry out his duties. In September 1921, the party elected Matthew Charlton as assistant leader in the House of Representatives.
caption: Caricature of Tudor published in 1920
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