# Richard Moore (Liberal politician)

Richard Gillachrist Moore (20 February 1931 – 15 May 2019), was a British journalist and Liberal Party politician. He was a leader writer at the News Chronicle and speechwriter to the Liberal Party Leader.

## Background

Moore was born in London, the younger son of Sir Alan Moore and Hilda Mary Burrows. He was educated at Highfield School, Liphook and Radley College, Berkshire, gaining an exhibition to Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1949. He was President of Cambridge University Liberal Club in 1953 and President of Cambridge Union in 1955. He was also Chairman of the Union of University Liberal Societies.
In 1955 he married Ann Miles. They had two sons Charles and Rowan, and daughter, seven grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.

## Professional career

Moore was a leader writer for the News Chronicle (1956–60). He was secretary to the Liberal peers from 1960 and then political secretary and speechwriter to Jeremy Thorpe from 1967 to 1973. He was secretary general of Liberal International.

## Political career

Moore was Liberal candidate for Tavistock at the general elections of 1955 and 1959, Cambridgeshire 1961 and 1964, North Antrim 1966 and 1970 and North Norfolk in both 1974 elections. He did not stand for parliament again. He was Liberal candidate in the 1984 European Elections for Somerset and Dorset West.

### Electoral record

General election 1955: Tavistock :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Henry Studholme | 18,991 | 54.8 |
| | Labour | Harold Lawrance | 8,755 | 25.2 |
| | Liberal | Richard Moore | 6,937 | 20.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,236 | 29.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,683 | 76.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
General election 1959: Tavistock :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Henry Studholme | 19,778 | 53.7 |
| | Liberal | Richard Moore | 9,008 | 24.5 |
| | Labour | Bryan R Weston | 8,022 | 21.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,770 | 29.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,808 | 78.5 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
1961 Cambridgeshire by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Francis Pym | 17,643 | 45.9 | −12.0 |
| | Labour | Robert M D Davies | 11,566 | 30.1 | −12.0 |
| | Liberal | Richard Moore | 9,219 | 24.0 | n/a |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,077 | 15.8 | +0.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,428 | 62.4 | −15.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.0 | |
General election 1964: Cambridgeshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Francis Pym | 24,883 | 48.0 | +2.1 |
| | Labour | Evan L Rutherford | 17,636 | 34.0 | +3.9 |
| | Liberal | Richard Moore | 9,347 | 18.0 | −6.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,247 | 14.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,866 | 79.8 | +17.4 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −0.9 | |
General election 1966: North Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Henry Clark | 31,927 | 78.1 | –12.0 |
| | Ulster Liberal | Richard Moore | 8,941 | 21.9 | n/a |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 22,986 | 56.2 | –24.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,868 | 56.7 | –6.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 72,039 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
General election 1970: North Antrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Protestant Unionist | Ian Paisley | 24,130 | 41.2 | n/a |
| | UUP | Henry Clark | 21,451 | 36.6 | –41.5 |
| | NI Labour | Patrick McHugh | 6,476 | 11.0 | n/a |
| | National Democratic | Alasdair McDonnell | 4,312 | 7.4 | n/a |
| | Ulster Liberal | Richard Moore | 2,269 | 3.9 | –18.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,679 | 4.6 | –51.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 58,638 | 73.4 | +16.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 79,930 | | |
| | Protestant Unionist gain from UUP | Protestant Unionist gain from UUP | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: North Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ralph Howell | 35,684 | 47.6 | −7.7 |
| | Labour | D. M. Mason | 21,394 | 28.6 | −16.1 |
| | Liberal | Richard Moore | 17,853 | 23.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,290 | 19.0 | +8.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 74,931 | 83.4 | +3.1 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: North Norfolk :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ralph Howell | 33,312 | 48.1 | +0.5 |
| | Labour | D. M. Mason | 22,191 | 32.0 | +3.4 |
| | Liberal | Richard Moore | 13,776 | 19.9 | −3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,121 | 16.1 | −2.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 69,279 | 76.5 | −6.9 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
European Parliament election, 1984: Somerset and Dorset West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Margaret Daly | 98,928 | 50.9 | n/a |
| | Liberal | Richard Moore | 58,677 | 30.2 | n/a |
| | Labour | Jane Linden | 38,863 | 18.9 | n/a |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 40,251 | 20.7 | n/a |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 36.0 | n/a |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |