Richard Stokes

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

Stokes was educated at Downside School, the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and Trinity College, Cambridge. He served in the Royal Artillery during World War I, winning the Military Cross and bar and the Croix de Guerre. He became chairman and managing director of the engineering firm Ransomes & Rapier Ltd.

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, including, with Bishop George Bell and fellow labour MP Alfred Salter, opposing area strategic bombing during World War II. After the RAF's bombing of Dresden on the night of February 13 and the early hours of February 14, his questions in the House about the act, were in part responsible for the reappraisal of the Government's bombing policy in the last month of the war in Europe.

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.

Stokes died in 1957 as a result of injuries he received in a car accident.

[edit] External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Sir Francis Ganzoni	Member of Parliament for Ipswich 1938–1957	Succeeded by Dingle Foot
Political offices
Preceded by Charles Key	Minister of Works 1950–1951	Succeeded by George Brown
Preceded by Ernest Bevin	Lord Privy Seal 1951	Succeeded by The Marquess of Salisbury