Robert Richards (Welsh politician)
Encyclopedia
Robert Richards was a British
Labour Party
politician, who served as Member of Parliament
(MP) for Wrexham
in North Wales
for three periods between 1929 and 1954.
He was born at Tanyffordd, Llangynog, Montgomeryshire, and started at the Llangynog Primary Council School on the 6 May 1889. He then attended the County School at Llanfyllin, Montgomeryshire at the same time as Clement Davies
, Member of Parliament for Montgomeryshire
for the Liberal Party for many years.
Robert Richards had the Chair of Economics at Bangor University
, Caenarfonshire and also wrote a book published in 1933 called CYMRU'R OESAU CANOL.
He was first elected at the 1922 general election
, and was re-elected in 1923
. In 1924 he served as Under-Secretary of State for India
. At the 1924 general election
he lost the seat to the Liberal Party
candidate, Christmas Price Williams
.
Richards was re-elected at the 1929 general election
, but lost the seat two years later at the 1931 general election
to the Liberal Party
candidate, Aled Owen Roberts
. Richards regained the seat at the 1935 general election
and served as Wrexham's MP until he died on office in 1954.
At the resulting Wrexham by-election in 1955
, Idwal Jones
held the seat for Labour.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician, who served as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Wrexham
Wrexham (UK Parliament constituency)
Wrexham is a parliamentary constituency in North Wales which is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
in North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
for three periods between 1929 and 1954.
He was born at Tanyffordd, Llangynog, Montgomeryshire, and started at the Llangynog Primary Council School on the 6 May 1889. He then attended the County School at Llanfyllin, Montgomeryshire at the same time as Clement Davies
Clement Davies
Clement Edward Davies KC, MP was a Welsh politician and leader of the Liberal Party from 1945 to 1956.-Life:...
, Member of Parliament for Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Montgomeryshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created in 1542, it elects one Member of Parliament , traditionally known as the knight of the shire, by the first-past-the-post system of election.The Montgomeryshire Welsh Assembly...
for the Liberal Party for many years.
Robert Richards had the Chair of Economics at Bangor University
Bangor University
Bangor University is a university based in the city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales-United Kingdom.It was officially known for most of its history as the University College of North Wales...
, Caenarfonshire and also wrote a book published in 1933 called CYMRU'R OESAU CANOL.
He was first elected at the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
, and was re-elected in 1923
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
. In 1924 he served as Under-Secretary of State for India
Under-Secretary of State for India
This is a list of Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State and Permanent Under-Secretaries of State at the India Office during the period of British rule between 1866 and 1948, and for Burma from 1858-1948....
. At the 1924 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
he lost the seat to the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
candidate, Christmas Price Williams
Christmas Price Williams
Christmas Price Williams was a Welsh Liberal politician.-Family and education:Williams was born on Christmas Day, 1881 the son of Peter Williams, Managing Director of the Brymbo Steel Company near Wrexham...
.
Richards was re-elected at the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, but lost the seat two years later at the 1931 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
to the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
candidate, Aled Owen Roberts
Aled Owen Roberts
Aled Owen Roberts was a Welsh Liberal, later Liberal National and finally Conservative politician, soldier and businessman.-Family and Education:...
. Richards regained the seat at the 1935 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
and served as Wrexham's MP until he died on office in 1954.
At the resulting Wrexham by-election in 1955
Wrexham by-election, 1955
The Wrexham by-election, 1955 was a by-election held on 17th March 1955 for the British House of Commons constituency of Wrexham in Denbighshire, Wales....
, Idwal Jones
James Idwal Jones
James Idwal Jones was a British Labour Party politician.He was born in Rhosllannerchrugog, Wrexham, and educated at Ruabon Grammar School and Normal College, Bangor. He became a teacher in 1922 in Holt, but then moved to positions in Glyn Ceiriog and Penycae...
held the seat for Labour.