# Dick Knowles > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dick_Knowles > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dick_Knowles.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Knowles > Source revision: 1347549118 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|British Labour politician (1917–2008)}} {{More citations needed|date=October 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = Sir | name = Richard “Dick” Knowles | honorific_suffix = | image = | caption = | birth_name = Richard Marchant Knowles | birth_date = {{Birth date|1917|05|20|df=y}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{Death date and age|2008|02|18|1917|05|20|df=y}} | death_place = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | office = Leader of [Birmingham City Council](/source/Birmingham_City_Council) | term_start = May 1984 | term_end = October 1993 | predecessor = [Neville Bosworth](/source/Neville_Bosworth) | successor = [Theresa Stewart](/source/Theresa_Stewart) | office1 = Member of Birmingham City Council | term_start1 = 1972 | term_end1 = 2000 | office2 = Member of [West Midlands County Council](/source/West_Midlands_County_Council) | term_start2 = 1973 | term_end2 = 1977 | monuments = | education = | alma_mater = | occupation = | years_active = | employer = | party = [Labour Party](/source/Labour_Party_(UK)) | known_for = Leader of [Birmingham City Council](/source/Birmingham_City_Council) | notable_works = | style = | spouse = }} '''Sir Richard Marchant Knowles''' (20 May 1917 – 18 February 2008) was a British politician known for his work in local government in [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham). He led the [Labour Party](/source/Labour_Party_(UK)) administration on Birmingham City Council from 1984 to 1993. Knowles was brought up in [Kent](/source/Kent) and worked in the building industry from the age of 14. After brief service in the [Royal Engineers](/source/Royal_Engineers) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II), he became a builder and shipbuilder in 1941. In 1950 he became a [trade union](/source/trade_union) organiser in the building trade, working in [Sevenoaks](/source/Sevenoaks), [Dover](/source/Dover), [Leeds](/source/Leeds) and eventually ending up in [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham). From 1971, he became national organiser of the [Co-operative Party](/source/Co-operative_Party) and began to consider a career in local government. He was elected to [Birmingham City Council](/source/Birmingham_City_Council) in 1972 and was swiftly made Chairman of the [Planning Committee](/source/Planning_Committee). In 1974 he was elected as an [Alderman](/source/Alderman) and moved on to the Policy Committee, of which he was a member for three years until the Labour Party lost power. He also served on West Midlands County Council from 1973 to 1977. In 1980, Knowles returned as Planning Committee chairman for two years. He was promoted to be Labour group leader and became Leader of the Council in 1984 when Labour won control. Knowles played a key role in the transformation of Birmingham city centre during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was influential in bringing about the [International Convention Centre](/source/International_Convention_Centre%2C_Birmingham) and [Symphony Hall](/source/Symphony_Hall%2C_Birmingham) on Broad Street, which were to prove hugely important in the regeneration and reinvention of the city. He was [knighted](/source/Knighthood) in 1989. Knowles was sued in 1990 by [John Hemming](/source/John_Hemming_(politician)) over a leaflet which Hemming considered libellous; although Knowles had not written the leaflet, he had helped distribute it door-to-door. Lacking the resources to defend the case, Knowles agreed to pay damages of £1,000 to charity plus Hemming's legal costs. Knowles stood down from the leadership in 1993, being succeeded by [Theresa Stewart](/source/Theresa_Stewart){{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/renaissance-that-never-was-birminghams-new-leader-snubs-prestige-building-projects-1509856.html|title=Renaissance that never was: Birmingham's new leader snubs prestige building projects|last=Cohen|first=Nick|date=1993-10-10|work=[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)|accessdate=24 April 2012}} and was made [Lord Mayor of Birmingham](/source/Lord_Mayor_of_Birmingham) in 1994. He was defeated for re-election to the council in 2000. On 2 May 2007, the then British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, paid tribute to Dick Knowles's contribution to the regeneration of Birmingham, during [Prime Minister's Questions](/source/Prime_Minister's_Questions) at Westminster.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}} He was still politically active as a governor of [University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust](/source/University_Hospital_Birmingham_NHS_Foundation_Trust) well into his eighties.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}} ==Death and legacy== {{Unreferenced section|date=February 2023}} Knowles died of [bladder cancer](/source/bladder_cancer), aged 90. His son, Bill Knowles, added that his father had lived "a very full and complete life". The Knowles stand, one of four stands for spectators at [Alexander Stadium](/source/Alexander_Stadium) is named after him. == References == {{Reflist}} == External links == *[https://www.expressandstar.com/news/2008/02/18/leader-who-revived-city-dies-aged-90/ Obituary] *[https://archive.today/20140910225926/http://www.search.digitalbalsallheath.org.uk/engine/resource/exhibition/standard/child.asp?txtKeywords=&lstContext=&lstResourceType=&lstExhibitionType=3&chkPurchaseVisible=&txtDateFrom=&txtDateTo=&x1=&y1=&x2=&y2=&scale=&theme=&album=&viewpage=/engine/resource/exhibition/standard/child.asp&originator=/engine/custom/gallery.asp&page=&records=&direction=&pointer=6254&text=0&resource=11131&exhibition=3717&offset=0 Picture of Dick] at the Birmingham Carnival 1994. *[https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/sir-richard-knowles-q5rjwncl0lf Obituary in The Times, 28 February 2008] (£) *[https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/feb/21/3?gusrc=rss&feed=politics Obituary in the Guardian, 21 February 2008] *[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1579845/Sir-Richard-Knowles.html Obituary in The Daily Telegraph, 26 February 2008] {{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{succession box|title=Leader of [Birmingham City Council](/source/Birmingham_City_Council)|years=1984 to 1993|before=[Neville Bosworth](/source/Neville_Bosworth)|after=[Theresa Stewart](/source/Theresa_Stewart)}} {{s-end}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Knowles, Dick}} Category:1917 births Category:2008 deaths Category:Military personnel from Kent Category:Deaths from bladder cancer in England Category:Labour Party (UK) councillors Category:Co-operative Party politicians Category:Politicians from Birmingham, West Midlands Category:People from Kent Category:Councillors in Birmingham, West Midlands Category:Knights Bachelor Category:Lord mayors of Birmingham, West Midlands Category:Leaders of local authorities of England Category:British Army personnel of World War II Category:Royal Engineers soldiers --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Dick Knowles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Knowles) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Knowles?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.