Leonard Franklin

Sir Leonard Franklin
Born	Template:Birth date London, England
Died	December 11, 1944(1944-12-11) (aged 82)
Occupation(s)	Barrister, banker, politician
Years active	1894–1939
Known for	Liberal Party politician, social reformer, advocate of women's suffrage

Sir Leonard Benjamin Franklin OBE (15 November 1862 – 11 December 1944) was an English barrister, banker, and Liberal Party politician of Jewish heritage.

Family

Franklin was born in London to Ellis Abraham Franklin, a banker, and Adelaide, who was the sister of Samuel Montagu, 1st Baron Swaythling. He was part of a distinguished Liberal lineage that included notable individuals such as Venetia Stanley and Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel. In 1888, he wed Laura Agnes Ladenburg, with whom he had one son and three daughters.

Education

His education took place at King's College School in London and the Athenée Royale in Brussels.

Career

Although called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1894, Franklin chose not to practice law. He instead entered the banking sector by joining Keyser & Co., a foreign banking institution located in London’s financial district, eventually becoming a senior partner after 1929.

During the First World War, Franklin acted as the Local Government Board’s representative in Folkestone, where he managed refugee affairs when voluntary organizations were unable to cope. For this contribution, he was awarded the OBE. Later, he was posted to France to supervise the finances of British military hospitals. Additionally, Franklin served as a Justice of the Peace.

Radical interests

Franklin was deeply involved in social reform activities in London and was recognized as a committed Radical. Beginning in 1908, he chaired the North Paddington Liberal Association and also held the role of honorary treasurer for the London Radical Candidates' Association, with particular attention to housing and traffic matters.

In 1912, together with his wife Laura, he established the Jewish League for Woman Suffrage, which campaigned for both national women’s suffrage and equal rights within Judaism. This initiative received backing from family members including Henrietta Franklin and Lily Montagu.

1908–1922

Franklin made his initial attempt at entering Parliament during the December 1910 general election as the Liberal candidate for Paddington North. Although unsuccessful, he reduced the Conservative incumbent Arthur Strauss’s majority from 893 to 598 votes. He contested again in 1918 as an Independent Asquithian Liberal but did not receive the Coalition coupon endorsement and consequently lost his deposit; Strauss had by then stood as an Independent Labour candidate and also forfeited his deposit.

At the 1922 general election, Franklin stood for St Pancras South East but came last in a three-way contest against Conservative and Labour candidates.

1923–1939

Franklin achieved his only Parliamentary success in the 1923 general election when he won Hackney Central by a margin of 1,317 votes over the Conservative candidate in a three-cornered race. However, he lost this seat in 1924, dropping to third place as Conservatives regained it and Labour moved into second position. His subsequent attempts to retake Hackney Central in 1929 and 1931 also ended with third-place finishes amid closely fought contests where control alternated between Labour and Conservatives supporting the National Government.

Despite these electoral defeats, Franklin continued to be an active advocate for the Liberal Party, maintaining a prominent role within the Hackney Central Association until the outbreak of World War II in 1939.

Knighthood

In recognition of his contributions to politics and public service, Franklin was honored with a knighthood in the 1932 King's Birthday Honours List, receiving the title of Knight Bachelor.

Jewish interests

Franklin dedicated much of his social work to supporting London's Jewish community, serving in leadership positions such as vice-president of both the Jewish Workingmen's Club and the South Hackney Jewish Social and Literary Society.

Publication

A proponent of electoral reform, Franklin designed a method known as Percentage PR to improve proportional representation. He detailed this system in his 1922 work titled Percentage Proportional Representation.

Death

At the age of 82, Franklin passed away unexpectedly at his residence, The Grange, located in Goudhurst, Kent, on 11 December 1944.