James Leatham

James Leatham (1865–1945) was a 19th/20th century British socialist author and social reformer who devised a system of selective nationalisation. He is seen as a socialist pioneer. In 1890 he began publishing The Workers Herald, Scotland's first socialist newspaper. His book "The Most Important Thing in the World" (through accident rather than design), lays out the pattern of British social control which evolved in the later 20th century (but then evolved away from his principles): with local bodies running local services; but railways, national roads, mines etc. run on a nationalised basis. He called this system a Co-operative commonwealth.