Richard Wainwright (politician)

Richard Wainwright (1918-2003) was a Liberal MP for Colne Valley, 1966-70 and 1974-87.

Educated at Clare College, Cambridge (BA History, 1938) he became a Merchant Banker.

During World War II, he served with the Friends' Ambulance Unit, including in Normandy in 1944 and Antwerp 1944 and 1945.

Standing for the Liberals in his seat of Colne Valley in 1959, the 1963 byelection, and 1964, he increased his vote each time until he finally gained the seat in 1966.

In the party's 1967 leadership election to replace Jo Grimond he was mooted as a possible 'Stop Jeremy Thorpe' candidate, but in the event did not stand due to his lack of parliamentary experience.

He lost his seat in the Liberal debacle of 1970, but regained it at the February 1974 election, and held it with a strong personal vote until his retirement in 1987.

Two of his children havw a public profile: his son, Martin is the Northern Editor of The Guardian newspaper and Hilary Wainwright, one of his daughters, is the radical academic and editor of Red Pepper magazine.

External Links

• Account of the Friend's Ambulance Unit covering the period of Richard Wainwright's service in North-West Europe.
• Martin Wainwright recounts his father and family choosing to give refuge to a displaced Ugandan Asian family in 1972 (Guardian, August 15, 2005)