# Bernard Wilfred Budd

Bernard Wilfred Budd QC (18 December 1912 – 5 August 2003), was a British barrister and Liberal Party politician.

## Background

Budd was the son of the Reverend W.R.A. Budd. He was educated at Cardiff High School, West Leeds High School and Pembroke College, Cambridge where he was a scholar in natural sciences receiving a BA in 1934 and returning for an MA in 1944. In 1944 he married Margaret Alison Burgin MBE. She was a daughter of Rt Hon. Edward Leslie Burgin a Liberal MP who held office in the National Government of the 1930s. They had two sons, one of which was Sir Colin Richard Budd who became Ambassador to the Netherlands.

## Professional career

Budd Served in the Indian Civil Service from 1935 to 1951. He was Called to Bar by Gray's Inn in 1952. In 1969 he was appointed a QC.

## Political career

Budd was Liberal candidate for the Dover division in Kent at the 1964 and 1966 general elections, both times placing third. He became a member of the Liberal party law reform panel. He was Liberal candidate for Folkestone and Hythe, also in Kent, at the February and October 1974 general elections, both times placing second. In 1978, he became Chairman of the Association of Liberal Lawyers. He stood as Liberal candidate for Folkestone and Hythe for the final time in his life in the 1979 general election, wherein again he achieved a second-place finish.

### Electoral performance

General Election 1964: Dover :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | David Ennals | 24,115 | 44.94 |
| | Conservative | John Arbuthnot | 23,697 | 44.17 |
| | Liberal | Bernard Budd | 5,843 | 10.89 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 418 | 0.78 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 82.70 |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | |
General Election 1966: Dover :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | David Ennals | 27,256 | 49.31 |
| | Conservative | TCG Stacey | 24,040 | 43.49 |
| | Liberal | Bernard Budd | 3,981 | 7.20 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,216 | 5.82 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 84.18 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | |
General Election February 1974: Folkestone and Hythe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Albert Costain | 23,400 | 47.08 |
| | Liberal | Bernard Budd | 14,890 | 29.96 |
| | Labour | MJS Butler | 11,412 | 22.96 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,510 | 17.12 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 77.31 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General Election October 1974: Folkestone and Hythe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Albert Costain | 20,930 | 46.18 |
| | Liberal | Bernard Budd | 12,488 | 27.55 |
| | Labour | MJS Butler | 11,639 | 25.68 |
| | Independent | H Button | 265 | 0.58 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,442 | 18.63 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 70.03 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General Election 1979: Folkestone and Hythe :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Albert Costain | 26,837 | 55.74 |
| | Liberal | Bernard Budd | 10,817 | 22.47 |
| | Labour | GJ Priestman | 10,015 | 20.80 |
| | National Front | M Lavine | 478 | 0.99 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,020 | 33.27 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 72.62 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |