Thomas Frederick Richards

Thomas Frederick Richards (25 March 1863 – 4 October 1942) was a British trade unionist and Labour Party politician.[1][2]

Richards in the mid 1900s

Born in Wednesbury, in the English Black Country, he was the son of a commercial traveller. Following an elementary education, he started work at the age of eleven. He moved to Leicester, a centre for the manufacture of footwear. In 1893 he began his career as full-time union official, taking up a post with the Leicester Branch of the Boot and Shoe Operatives.[1][2] From 1894–1903 he was a member of Leicester Borough Council.[1]

Richards was chosen by the Labour Representation Committee to contest the Wolverhampton West constituency at the 1906 general election.[1][2][3] Against expectations he defeated the sitting Conservative member of parliament, Sir Alfred Hickman.[4] The Conservatives put their defeat down to apathy by their supporters, and when the next general election was held in January 1910 made a determined effort to regain the seat.[5] Their candidate, Alfred Bird, was able to unseat Richards.[6] Richards attempted to return to the Commons in December 1910 when he unsuccessfully contested East Northamptonshire.[1]

Richards returned to trade union work and local politics. He was general president of the National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives from 1910–1929 and a member of the Management Committee of the General Federation of Trades Unions from 1905–1924. He was a member of Leicester City Council 1929–1939.[1]

He died at his home at Birstall, Leicester, aged 79 in October 1942.[2]