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Ralph Cleworth

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ralph Cleworth QC (31 October 1896 – 22 October 1975), was a British lawyer and Liberal Party politician.

Background

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Cleworth was born the son of Rev. William Enoch Cleworth.[1] He was educated at Wheelwright Grammar School for Boys, Dewsbury and Christ's College, Cambridge. In 1928 he married Eleanore Greenwood. They had one son.[2]

Professional career

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Cleworth received a Call to the bar in 1924. He worked as a barrister on the North-Eastearn Circuit.[3] He became a Queens Counsel in 1947.[4]

Political career

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In 1927 Cleworth was Liberal candidate for Armley & Wortley in the Leeds County Borough elections. He was in a three-party contest with Labour and Conservative. He came third polling 15% of the vote.[5] In 1929 he was Liberal candidate for the Leeds West division of Yorkshire at the UK General Election. Leeds West was a Labour/Unionist marginal that Labour had won in 1923 and 1924. Cleworth's prospects were not good and he finished a distant third as expected. He did not stand for parliament again.[6]

Electoral record

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General Election 1929: Leeds West [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas William Stamford 18,765 41.9
Unionist George William Martin 18,129 40.8
Liberal Ralph Cleworth 7,892 17.6
Majority 636 1.1
Turnout 44,786
Labour hold Swing

References

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  1. ^ The Times House of Commons, 1929
  2. ^ ‘CLEWORTH, Ralph’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014 accessed 14 March 2016
  3. ^ The Times House of Commons, 1929
  4. ^ ‘CLEWORTH, Ralph’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014 accessed 14 March 2016
  5. ^ 1929 Leeds Council directory
  6. ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1983, FWS Craig
  7. ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig