David Waddington, Baron Waddington

Waddington was born in Burnley, Lancashire, the youngest of five. His father and grandfather were both solicitors in Burnley. He was educated at Cressbrook School and Sedbergh School, both independent schools.[1]

He then attended Hertford College, Oxford, where he became President of the Oxford University Conservative Association. He was called to the Bar at Gray's Inn in 1951.[2]

Waddington unsuccessfully defended Stefan Kiszko at Leeds Crown Court in July 1976, in what would become one of the worst and most notorious miscarriages of justice in British Law in the 20th Century. Kiszko served 16 years in prison after wrongly being found guilty of the murder of Lesley Molseed.

Waddington stood for election several times before being successful. He was the Conservative candidate at Farnworth in the 1955 general election, at Nelson and Colne in 1964, and at Heywood and Royton in 1966.[3]

He was first elected to Parliament at the 1968 Nelson and Colne by-election, caused by the death of Labour MP Sydney Silverman. He was re-elected there in 1970 and in February 1974, but lost his seat at the October 1974 general election by a margin of 669 votes to Labour's Doug Hoyle.[2]

Waddington was returned to Parliament for Clitheroe at a by-election in March 1979, and was subsequently elected for the broadly similar Ribble Valley constituency in 1983.[1]

Lord Waddington died on 23 February 2017, aged 87. He was survived by his wife, and their five children.[2]

• Profile on Parliament website
• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by David Waddington