Richard Stokes

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

Major The Right Honourable Richard Stokes MC MP
Minister of Materials
In office 6 July 1951 – 26 October 1951
Leader	Clement Attlee
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Viscount Swinton
Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
In office 26 April 1951 – 26 October 1951
Leader	Clement Attlee
Preceded by	Ernest Bevin
Succeeded by	The Marquess of Salisbury
Minister of Works
In office 28 February 1950 – 26 April 1951
Leader	Clement Attlee
Preceded by	Charles Key
Succeeded by	George Brown
Member of Parliament for Ipswich
In office 16 February 1938 – 3 August 1957
Preceded by	John Ganzoni
Succeeded by	Dingle Foot
Personal details
Born	Richard Rapier Stokes (1897-01-27)27 January 1897
Died	3 August 1957(1957-08-03) (aged 60) London
Cause of death	Cardiac arrest
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour
Parents	Philip Folliot Stokes Mary Fenwick Rapier
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge

The second son of Philip Folliott Stokes and his wife Mary Fenwick Rapier, the only surviving child of Richard Christopher Rapier (1836-1897) of Ransomes & Rapier,[1] Richard 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. His uncle Sir Wilfred Stokes, chairman and managing director of the engineering firm Ransomes & Rapier invented the Stokes Mortar in World War I. His uncle Leonard Stokes was an architect who designed the new buildings at Downside School (built 1912, when Richard was at Downside). Richard Stokes was chairman (1939) and supporter of the School of Economic Science.[2]

On going down from Cambridge he joined his family's business, Ransomes & Rapier, and was made managing director at the age of 30. When rearmament was proposed by the National Government Stokes offered to charge the nation cost price for all his firm's rearmament work. It was rejected by the National Government and shortly afterwards he joined the Labour Party. Though he held office under Labour governments he was said to have remained a backbencher at heart.[1]

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 Member of Parliament (MP) Alfred Salter, opposing area strategic bombing during World War II. Stokes was also a prominent critic of the inadequacy of Allied tank design. Prior to the war, he co-wrote a paper (with Andrew MacLaren and George Lansbury) analysing the economic forces menacing peace in Europe.[3] After the RAF's bombing of Dresden on the night of 13 February and the early hours of 14 February 1945, his questions in the House about the act[4] were in part responsible for the reappraisal of the Government's bombing policy in the last month of the war in Europe. He raised other issues after the war relating to Yalta and the forced repatriation of Yugoslavs, and the treatment of Dr George Chatterton-Hill in Germany.

Following the 1945 general election, Labour were returned to power. Stokes devoted much of his energy to the Friends of Ireland group, of which he was treasurer.[5] 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. He aimed to show that the proposed armaments programme could be carried out, contrary to Aneurin Bevan and Harold Wilson (who had resigned over this and other issues).

Stokes died at home in London of a heart attack according to his death notice, although he had been in a road accident on 23 July when his car overturned during a thunderstorm on the flooded London road at Stanway near Colchester.[6]