Silverman, (Samuel) Sidney (1896–1968)

British lawyer and Labour politician. He was Labour member of Parliament for Nelson and Colne 1935–1968. He served as chair of the British section of the World Jewish Congress and argued strongly after the war for unlimited access to Palestine for all Jewish refugees. Overlooked for a post in the post-war Labour administration, Silverman was increasingly a voice on the left of the party. His support for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) led to his expulsion from the party.

Silverman was also a powerful campaigner on behalf of the abolition of the death penalty, building a powerful lobby through the 1950s for legislation that had to wait for Labour's return to office in 1964.

Born in Liverpool to a Jewish family and educated at Liverpool University. Silverman registered as a conscientious objector in 1916 and this limited his chances of career advancement after the war. He qualified as a lawyer and by 1927 was representing the poor in criminal cases and cases against landlords.