John Gilbert Dale (1869 – 6 March 1926) was a British scientist who also became a prominent trade union and political activist.
Born in Hanley, Staffordshire, Dales studied at Victoria College in Congleton. Developing a research interest in epilepsy, he also became a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a fellow of the Zoological Society of London.[1]
Dale became active in the Labour Party and stood for Kennington at the 1910 London County Council election, receiving 900 votes, and again in 1913, when he managed only 7.9% of the vote. He also stood for Parliament in St Pancras North at the 1918 United Kingdom general election, taking 26.6% of the votes cast. He stood again in the 1922 United Kingdom general election, when he improved to 33.6% and second place.[1][2]
A supporter of the British police strikes in 1918 and 1919, Dale was a founder of the National Union of Police and Prison Officers (NUPPO), but this was soon banned by the government. Dale instead devoted his time to the Prison Officers' Federation, a surviving, legal, affiliate of NUPPO, serving as its president.[1]
Dale remained politically active, contesting Walthamstow East at the 1923 and 1924 United Kingdom general elections, taking just over a third of the vote and second place on each occasion.[2]
