Muggeridge was born the son of undertaker Henry Ambrose Muggeridge in
Penge, which was then a small village but is now incorporated into the city of
London, on 26 June 1864. Malcolm's first name, Thomas, was chosen by H.T. in honor of his hero
Thomas Carlyle. One of Malcolm's quoted memories of his father is of his visits to the
Surrey Street Market, where he would set up his platform and expound his views on the need for
socialism: "Now ladies and gentlemen. It's His Majesty's Government, His Majesty's Navy, His Majesty's Stationery Office, His Majesty's this and His Majesty's that. But it's the National Debt. Why isn't that His Majesty's? We'll gladly let His Majesty have that, won't we?" Muggeridge's early interest in politics at first led to his joining the Penge
Liberals, and with them he campaigned for local improvements. By his late twenties he was a socialist, and he joined first the
Fabians, then the
Independent Labour Party. An excellent public speaker, he founded and became secretary of the
Croydon Socialist Society in 1895, and stood for the
Croydon Borough Council in Norwood in 1896 and 1897. He was not to be successful until November 1911, although Croydon had already had several Labour councillors. Muggeridge was the first President of
Ruskin House, the Labour and Trade Union centre in Croydon, having been instrumental in its relocation and refounding. Muggeridge remained a Croydon councillor until 1930, at which time he also became a
Justice of the Peace. He was instrumental in getting Croydon's first council houses built and campaigned for
Trade Union rates of pay for all municipal employees. Although he stood for Parliament in
Croydon South four times, in
1918,
1922,
1923, and
1924, Muggeridge finally became a member of parliament for
Romford in
1929. He lost his seat in
1931 and returned to Croydon Council in 1933, retiring in 1940, at the age of 75. ==Death==