Richard Clitherow (18 January 1902 – 3 June 1947) was a Labour Party politician in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. Born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

, Clitherow was educated at the

University of Liverpool , mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning , established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...

, qualifying as a doctor and pharmacist. From 1919 until 1922, he served in the North West Mounted Police in Canada, then returned to the UK and served in the Liverpool City Police Force. In 1927, he moved to the United States to work as a pharmacist, then did the same job in China, but returned again to Liverpool in 1930. Clitherow joined the Conservative Party, and won election to Liverpool City Council in 1937. However, in 1943, he defected to the Labour Party. He was elected as

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...

(MP) for Liverpool Edge Hill at the

1945 general election The following elections occurred in the year 1945. Africa * 1945 South-West African legislative election Asia * 1945 Indian general election Australia * 1945 Fremantle by-election Europe * 1945 Albanian parliamentary election * 1945 Bulgaria ...

, but died in office in 1947, aged 45. He had been "run down and jaded", taking an overdose of seven barbitone tablets, which was described by the pathologist as a "bold dose". A verdict of accidental death was recorded at the inquest.''The Times'', 19 June 1947, p. 2. After his death, the by-election for his seat was won by Labour's Arthur Irvine.

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* 1902 births 1947 deaths Accidental deaths in England Alumni of the University of Liverpool Barbiturates-related deaths British expatriates in Canada British expatriates in China British expatriates in the United States 20th-century British medical doctors British pharmacists British police officers Conservative Party (UK) councillors in Liverpool Labour Party (UK) councillors in Liverpool Drug-related deaths in England Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Liverpool constituencies Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers UK MPs 1945–1950 {{England-Labour-UK-MP-stub