Sir Richard Thompson, 1st Baronet

Sir Richard Hilton Marler Thompson, 1st Baronet (5 October 1912 – 15 July 1999) was a British Conservative politician.

Thompson was educated at Malvern College and in India, Burma and Sri Lanka and worked in Calcutta and the Far East in business. In World War II, he served in the Royal Navy as an ordinary seaman and became a lieutenant-commander in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. He was serving on HMS Hermione in 1942 when the ship was sunk whilst part of the Malta convoy. He became a director of two publishing companies and was a trustee of the British Museum.

Thompson was elected as Member of Parliament for Croydon West in 1950, defeating Labour MP David Rees-Williams, then for the new Croydon South seat in 1955. He joined the Whips' Office as a junior whip in 1952, then as Lord Commissioner of the Treasury in 1954 and Vice-Chamberlain of the Household in 1956. He was Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health 1957-59, Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations 1959-60 and Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works 1960-62. In 1963 he was created a Baronet, of Reculver in the County of Kent.

Thompson lost his seat to Labour's David Winnick in 1966, but regained it in 1970. He retired at the February 1974 general election.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Sir Richard Thompson