1951, it attacked Burke for supporting Hugh Gaitskell's budget in the National Executive despite the fact that his union had put forward a motion at the Trades Union Congress criticising it. Burke was said to have hit back vigorously at the anonymous author of the pamphlet for disclosing confidential information and for misunderstanding the position of Trade Union members of the National Executive. When the shopworkers' union met at their 1952 conference, Burke was absent through illness; the Bevanites' position was backed by delegates. However the union continued to nominate him and he was re-elected to the National Executive in October of that year at the top of the poll. National Executive chairman Playing a decreasing role in Parliament, Burke became chairman of the Labour Party National Executive sub-committee on Commonwealth and Imperial affairs in November 1952. He served as Vice-Chairman of the National Executive in 1952–53, and was then elected as chairman at the end of September 1953. Burke gave a Party Political Broadcast at the end of January 1954 calling for large firms to plough profits back into the company and get away from the "'grab all you can' atmosphere". As a fraternal delegate to the Co-operative Party conference, he made a speech which was interpreted as a criticism of Aneurin Bevan. Burke also had twice to inquire into the affairs of the Liverpool Exchange Constituency Labour Party, which was feuding with its forceful Member of Parliament Bessie Braddock. Retirement Burke retired from the National Executive in 1956, and announced his decision to stand down from his Parliamentary seat at the next election. In December 1958 he presented a petition from Burnley along with 16 Mayors of Lancashire towns, calling for more Government help for the cotton trade. The Burnley petition claimed there was great despondency in the town. Burke left Parliament at the 1959 election, and died nine years later. References External links 1889 births 1968 deaths British trade unionists GMB (trade union)-sponsored MPs Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1935–1945 UK MPs 1945–1950 UK MPs 1950–1951 UK MPs 1951–1955 UK MPs 1955–1959 Politicians from Liverpool Politics of Burnley Chairs of the Labour Party (UK) National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers-sponsored MPs Ministers in the Attlee governments, 1945–1951