He was born in Newhouse, Lanarkshire. He worked as a coal miner, but his bosses stopped him from working when he made a union. He became a politician, and was elected to (chosen for) parliament in 1892. At first he was a Liberal, but he was interested in making a working class party. He started the Independent Labour Party in 1893, and what became the modern Labour party in 1900. He died in Glasgow following a series of strokes.