Dominic Lennox

**Dominic Malcolm Lennox** (23rd October 1892 - 4th May 1984, aged 91) was a Kymrian Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of Kymry from 1948 to 1953. The second socialist leader of Kymry, Lennox also served as the Minister of the Treasury from 1939-43, leader of the Labour party from 1946-58 and leader of the opposition from 1946-50. Lennox also served in the House of Councillors for the Suttonshire constituency from 1946-60, and in the House of Senators for the Taldon constituency from 1965-81.

Lennox was born in a middle class family, working as a journalist in his youth. Initially he was a supporter of the Radical Party and identified as a social liberal, but after seeing mass poverty and unemployment after World War One swung to the left, joining the Labour party. Becoming an editor of Labour's newspaper the *Working Man's Herald*, he became close to Labour leader Nicholas Halifax and a major figure on the social democratic right of the party. Between 1939-43 he was the Minister of the Treasury
where he expanded social programs and pursued a Keynesian economic strategy which was also protectionist. In 1943 Warren Meredith created a coalition government with the Christian Social Party ousting the Labour government, with Lennox replacing Halifax as leader. However, the tough austerity measures of the Meredith government allowed Lennox to lead the Labour party to victory in 1948.

Identifying as a social democratic and disdainful of the far-left of his party, Lennox created the post-war mixed economy, nationalising major industries, maintaining economic planning initiatives and establishing an economic system of tripartism, increasing the trade unions role in government. More prominently his government saw the expansion of the Kymrian welfare state, overseeing the establishment of universal healthcare in the form of the Health Assistance Programme, universal child benefits, old age pensions, unemployment and disability benefits and childcare facilities. His government also helped fund the arts and other forms of culture. Whilst the economy had begun to recover from the war in 1949, under Lennox it went through an unprecedented period of economic growth. The Lennox government also passed several important social reforms, the most notable being the Women's Representation Act 1950 which established universal suffrage.

However, the government also experienced severe tension. Lennox's approval of Kymrian troops being deployed in the Korean War threatened to split his party, as did his decision to make Kymry join NATO. In the later years of his government Lennox failed to realise his proposal to nationalise banks and to abolish higher education fees. Conscription also presented an issue for the Labour party, with Lennox losing a referendum that aimed to abolish conscription. In 1955 he was forced to hold an election, but the Yurchenko Affair saw an increase in anti-communist sentiment and resulted in the Conservative party under Samuel Henderson to win the election. Lennox subsequently stepped down as Labour leader and was replaced by Emyr Phillips.

In 1960 he retired from the House of Councillors, running for the House of Senators constituency of Taldon. In later life he proved influential in promoting Nicholas Halifax to the Labour leadership, retiring from politics in 1982. He died in 1984 after a brief illness.

Rated second in a list of the "100 greatest Kymrians", Lennox is often ranked amongst the best Kymrian Prime Ministers for his role in creating the welfare state, maintaining a healthy economy, and opposing Joseph Stalin at the onset of the Cold War. His support for women's suffrage and creation of the HAP especially are regarded as the most significant aspects of his legacy. However, his inability to deal with divisions within the Labour party and failure to end conscription are been often said to be his greatest flaws in office.