Richard Tracey

Richard Tracey JP AM
Member of the London Assembly for Merton and Wandsworth
In office 1 May 2008 – 6 May 2016
Preceded by	Elizabeth Howlett
Succeeded by	Leonie Cooper
Majority	9,981
Member of Parliament for Surbiton
In office 9 June 1983 – 1 May 1997
Preceded by	Nigel Fisher
Succeeded by	Edward Davey (Kingston and Surbiton)
Personal details
Born	8 February 1943
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Education	King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon
Alma mater	University of Birmingham

Richard Patrick Tracey JP (born 8 February 1943) is a British Conservative politician, and former journalist, presenter, and reporter. He was the MP for Surbiton from 1983 to 1997, and was Minister for Sport between 1985 and 1987. From 2008 to 2016 he was a Member of the London Assembly, where he represented Merton and Wandsworth. He was the Deputy Leader of the Conservative group.

Early life

Tracey was born on 8 February 1943. He was educated at King Edward VI School, an all-boys grammar school in Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire. He studied law at the University of Birmingham and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB Hons) degree.

Early career

From 1964 to 1966, Tracey was a leader writer at the Daily Express. From 1966 to 1978, he worked as a presenter and reporter for the BBC. He was involved in TV and radio current affairs programmes and was presenter of several documentary programmes. He was a public affairs consultant between 1978 to 1983, and between 1997 and 2008. He is the author of 'World of Motor Sport' (with Richard Hudson-Evans) published in 1971 and 'Hickstead – The First Twelve Years' (with Michael Clayton) published in 1972.

Political career

Parliament

After unsuccessfully contesting Northampton North in October 1974, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Surbiton from 1983 until 1997 when the constituency was abolished. He served as Environment and Sports Minister from 1985 to 1987, and was a leading member of the Public Accounts Committee from 1993–97. He was Chairman of the London Conservative MPs Group from 1990 to 1997. At the 1997 General Election, he unsuccessfully contested Kingston and Surbiton. He is on the Executive Committee of the Association of Former Members of Parliament.

London Assembly

In 2008 Tracey was elected a Member of the London Assembly representing Merton & Wandsworth, and later became Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group. He is previously Vice-Chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (2010–2012), and Member of the Metropolitan Police Authority (2008–10). In 2008, he was appointed Mayor's Ambassador for the River by Mayor Boris Johnson and charged with promoting greater transport use of the River Thames. He was Conservative Lead on the Assembly Transport Committee and a member of the Budget and Confirmation Hearings Committees. He was Chairman of the London Waste and Recycling Board.

He retired in 2016.

He is a Freeman of the City of London and a Justice of the Peace.

Family

He is married to Katharine Tracey OBE, a leading councillor in the London Borough of Wandsworth since 1989, and they have four grown-up children – Simon, Nicola, Emma, and Polly – and eight grandchildren

References

• Times Guide to the House of Commons, Times Newspapers Limited, 1997