Richard Stokes (politician)

Richard Rapier Stokes, MC (27 January 1897 – 3 August 1957) was a British soldier and Labour politician who served briefly as Lord Privy Seal in 1951.

Richard Stokes
Minister of Materials
In office
6 July 1951  26 October 1951
LeaderClement Attlee
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byViscount Swinton
Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
In office
26 April 1951  26 October 1951
LeaderClement Attlee
Preceded byErnest Bevin
Succeeded byThe Marquess of Salisbury
Minister of Works
In office
28 February 1950  26 April 1951
LeaderClement Attlee
Preceded byCharles Key
Succeeded byGeorge Brown
Member of Parliament for Ipswich
In office
16 February 1938  3 August 1957
Preceded byJohn Ganzoni
Succeeded byDingle Foot
Personal details
Born
Richard Rapier Stokes

(1897-01-27)27 January 1897
Died3 August 1957(1957-08-03) (aged 60)
London, England
NationalityBritish
Political partyLabour
Parent(s)Philip Folliot Stokes
Mary Fenwick Rapier
Alma materTrinity College, Cambridge

The second son of Philip Folliott Stokes and his wife Mary Fenwick Rapier, the only surviving child of Richard Christopher Rapier (1836–1897) of Ransomes & Rapier,[1] Richard Stokes was educated at Downside School, Sandhurst and after the war Trinity College, Cambridge. He served in the Royal Artillery during World War I, winning the Military Cross and bar and the Croix de Guerre. His uncle Sir Wilfred Stokes, chairman and managing director of the engineering firm Ransomes & Rapier invented the Stokes Mortar in World War I. His uncle Leonard Stokes was an architect who designed the new buildings at Downside School (built 1912, when Richard was at Downside). Another uncle was the landscape painter Adrian Scott Stokes. Richard Stokes was chairman (1939) and supporter of the School of Economic Science.[2] Richard Stokes was the maternal uncle of Katharine Hull, coauthor of The Far Distant Oxus and it's sequels, and was also a good friend of author Arthur Ransome, who helped with the books publication.

On going down from Cambridge he joined his family's business, Ransomes & Rapier, and was made managing director at the age of 30. When rearmament was proposed by the National Government Stokes offered to charge the nation cost price for all his firm's rearmament work, although it was rejected by the National Government - a rejection he criticised in his maiden speech.[3] Though he held office under Labour governments he was said to have remained a backbencher at heart.[1]

Having unsuccessfully fought Glasgow Central in 1935, Stokes won the Ipswich seat in a 1938 by-election, which he kept in the 1945, 1950, 1951 and 1955 elections. He was known for his independence in parliament.

Prior to the war, he co-wrote a paper (with Andrew MacLaren and George Lansbury) analysing the economic forces menacing peace in Europe.[4] He founded and led the Parliamentary Peace Aims Group.[5] With Bishop George Bell and fellow Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Alfred Salter, opposing area strategic bombing during World War II. After the RAF's bombing of Dresden on the night of 13 February and the early hours of 14 February 1945, his questions in the House about the act[6] were in part responsible for the reappraisal of the Government's bombing policy in the last month of the war in Europe. Stokes was also a prominent critic of the inadequacy of Allied tank design. He raised other issues after the war relating to Yalta and the forced repatriation of Yugoslavs, and the treatment of Dr George Chatterton-Hill in Germany.

Following the 1945 general election, Labour were returned to power. Stokes devoted much of his energy to the Friends of Ireland group, of which he was treasurer.[7] He was appointed Lord Privy Seal and the new position of Minister of Materials in April 1951, succeeding Ernest Bevin but served only a few months before Labour lost the 1951 general election. He aimed to show that the proposed armaments programme could be carried out, contrary to Aneurin Bevan and Harold Wilson (who had resigned over this and other issues). After Labour lost power to the Conservatives he was shadow Defence spokesman for a while.[3]

Stokes died at home on 3 August 1957 in London of a heart attack, according to his death notice. A few days before, on 23 July, he had been in a road accident when his car overturned during a thunderstorm on the flooded London road at Stanway near Colchester.[8]

References

  1. Obituary. Mr. R. R. Stokes. The Times, Monday, 5 August 1957; pg. 9; Issue 53911
  2. Hodgkinson, Brian (2010). In Search of Truth. Shepheard-Walwyn. pp. 10, 20. ISBN 978-0-85683-276-5.
  3. "Stokes, Richard Rapier". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  4. Stewart, John (2009). Standing for Justice. Shepheard-Walwyn. p. 153. ISBN 978-0-85683-194-2.
  5. Crowcroft, Robert (October 2008). "'What is Happening in Europe?' Richard Stokes, Fascism, and the Anti-War Movement in the British Labour Party during the Second World War and After". History. 93 (4): 514–530. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  6. "AIR ESTIMATES, 1945". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 6 March 1945.
  7. Bob Purdie, "The Friends of Ireland", in: Tom Gallagher, Contemporary Irish Studies, pp.81–94
  8. The Times, London, 1957: 23 July p. 12; 5 August pp. 1,9
  • The Times House of Commons 1945. 1945.
  • The Times House of Commons 1950. 1950.
  • The Times House of Commons 1955. 1955.
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