Born in England, he immigrated to Canada in 1910. Prior to his political career, he had been an educator and union activist. In 1935, he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada, representing the Rosetown—Biggar electoral district. He was re-elected five more times before he was defeated in the 1958 Diefenbaker sweep. He was the CCF's first national secretary in 1934 and became its national leader upon the death of J. S. Woodsworth in 1942. He remained as its leader until 1960, when there was a parliamentary caucus revolt against him. When the CCF was disbanded 1961, he joined its successor party, the NDP.