David Lewis (Canadian politician)

David Lewis CC QC
Lewis in 1944
Leader of the New Democratic Party
In office April 24, 1971 – July 7, 1975
Preceded by	Tommy Douglas
Succeeded by	Ed Broadbent
Member of Parliament for York South
In office November 8, 1965 – July 8, 1974
Preceded by	Marvin Gelber
Succeeded by	Ursula Appolloni
In office June 18, 1962 – April 8, 1963
Preceded by	William G. Beech
Succeeded by	Marvin Gelber
National President Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
In office 1958–1961
Preceded by	M. J. Coldwell
Succeeded by	Office abolished
National Chairman Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
In office 1954–1958
Preceded by	Percy Wright
Succeeded by	Office abolished
National Secretary Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
In office 1936–1950
Preceded by	M. J. Coldwell
Succeeded by	Lorne Ingle
Personal details
Born	David Losz June 23 or October 1909 Svisloch, Russian Empire
Died	May 23, 1981(1981-05-23) (aged 71) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Political party	CCF New Democratic Party
Other political affiliations	Labour
Spouse	Sophie Carson
Children	4, including Stephen Lewis
Parent(s)	Moishe Lewis Rose Lazarovitch
Alma mater	McGill University Lincoln College, Oxford
Occupation	Lawyer

David Lewis CC QC (born David Losz; June 23 or October 1909 – May 23, 1981) was a Canadian labour lawyer and social democratic politician. He was national secretary of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) from 1936 to 1950 and one of the key architects of the New Democratic Party (NDP) in 1961. In 1962, he was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP), in the House of Commons of Canada, for the York South electoral district. While an MP, he was elected the NDP's national leader and served from 1971 until 1975. After his defeat in the 1974 federal election, he stepped down as leader and retired from politics. He spent his last years as a university professor at Carleton University and as a travel correspondent for the Toronto Star. In retirement, he was named to the Order of Canada for his political service. After suffering from cancer for a long time, he died in Ottawa in 1981.

Lewis's politics were heavily influenced by the Jewish Labour Bund, which contributed to his support of parliamentary democracy. He was an avowed anti-communist, and while a Rhodes Scholar prevented communist domination of the Oxford University Labour Club. In Canada, he played a major role in removing communist influence from the labour movement.

In the CCF, he took the role of disciplinarian and dealt with internal organizational problems. He helped draft the Winnipeg Declaration, which moderated the CCF's economic policies to include acceptance of capitalism, albeit subject to stringent government regulation. As the United Steelworkers of America (USW)'s legal counsel in Canada, he helped them take over the International Union of Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers (Mine-Mill). His involvement with the USW also led to a central role in the creation of the Canadian Labour Congress in 1956.

The Lewis family has been active in socialist politics since the turn of the twentieth century, starting with David Lewis's father's involvement in the Bund in Russia, continuing with David, and followed by his eldest son, Stephen Lewis, who led the Ontario NDP from 1970 until 1978. When David was elected the NDP's national leader in 1971, he and Stephen became one of the first father-and-son-teams to simultaneously head Canadian political parties.