John Cartwright (British politician)

Educated at Woking County Grammar School, he was the star of the school's Dramatic Society for which he played numerous Shakespearean and Goldsmithian ladies. One such production was seen by the Norwegian ambassador, who was so impressed that he invited the whole production to perform in Oslo and Bergen.

Cartwright worked as Political Secretary of the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society (R.A.C.S.) and served as a Greenwich borough councillor before standing for Parliament. He unsuccessfully contested Bexley at the 1970 general election (when he lost to Edward Heath) and Bexleyheath at the February 1974 election (which he lost to Cyril Townsend). At the October 1974 election Cartwright was elected as the Labour member for Woolwich East, replacing Christopher Mayhew who had left Labour to join the Liberal Party. Following six years as a backbench Member of Parliament and latterly Parliamentary Private Secretary to Shirley Williams, Cartwright himself left the Labour Party in 1981 to become one of the founding members of the SDP.

Cartwright served as the SDP's chief whip from 1983 onwards and as its President from 1987 until the failure of the continuing SDP in 1990. He also served as the SDP/Liberal Alliance's chief defence spokesman from 1983 to 1987. A close political ally of David Owen, he stayed loyal to Owen and Owen's continuing SDP after the Liberal Party and a majority of the SDP merged in January 1988 to become the Liberal Democrats.

Following the collapse of the continuing SDP in 1990, Cartwright stood for re-election as an 'Independent Social Democrat' - albeit one endorsed by the Liberal Democrats - but lost by 2,200 votes.

After thus leaving active politics he went on to serve as Deputy Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority before retiring to Kent.

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by John Cartwright