Ralph Cleworth

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

Background

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

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

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

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

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