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 Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. Born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

, Clitherow was educated at the

University of Liverpool The University of Liverpool (abbreviated UOL) is a Public university, public research university in Liverpool, England. Founded in 1881 as University College Liverpool, Victoria University (United Kingdom), Victoria University, it received Ro ...

, qualifying as a doctor and pharmacist. From 1919 until 1922, he served in the North West Mounted Police in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, then returned to the UK and served in the Liverpool City Police. 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 Liverpool City Council is the Local government in England, local authority for the City status in the United Kingdom, city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. Liverpool has had a local authority since 1207, which has been reformed on numerous ...

in 1937. However, in 1943, he defected to the Labour Party. He was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Liverpool Edge Hill at the 1945 general election, 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 British expatriates in Canada Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers British expatriates in China British expatriates in the United States 20th-century British medical doctors British pharmacists Liverpool City Police officers Conservative Party (UK) councillors in Liverpool Labour Party (UK) councillors in Liverpool Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Liverpool constituencies UK MPs 1945–1950 Barbiturates-related deaths Drug-related deaths in England {{England-Labour-UK-MP-stub