Beresford Richards
| Beresford Richards | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly for The Pas |
|
|
In office 1943–1949 |
|
| Preceded by | John Bracken |
| Succeeded by | Francis Bud Jobin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 26, 1914 Aiegnmouth, Cornwall, England |
| Died | May 1982 |
| Political party | Cooperative Commonwealth Federation |
| Alma mater | University of Alberta |
| Occupation | Mining engineer |
Beresford (Berry) Richards (August 26, 1914, Aiegnmouth, Cornwall, England – May 1982) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1943 to 1949. Elected as a candidate of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, he was twice expelled from that party during his tenure in the legislature.
Richards's father, Beresford Walter Richards, was a member of the Canadian Authors' Association. The younger Richards came to Canada in 1921, and was educated in Athabaska, Alberta and at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Mining Engineering.
He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in a by-election held in The Pas on August 17, 1943, to replace former Premier John Bracken after the latter's move to federal politics. Although the CCF had never elected a candidate in The Pas, Richards won an overwhelming victory against three opponents. During this campaign, he ran on a platform advocating socialism as it had been introduced by the Labour government of New Zealand. The CCF was the dominant opposition party in Manitoba during this period, and Richards sat with his party on the opposition benches.
Richards was a charismatic personality, known for a powerful debating style and flamboyant manner of dressing. He was soon appointed to the provincial CCF executive as the party's chief organizer, and built a powerful constituency base within the party. At one time, the CCF organization in The Pas was the largest in the province. Richards was a maverick on the left-wing of the CCF, and the similarity of his views with those of the communist Labor-Progressive Party made him many enemies in his own party.
...
Wikipedia