{{Short description|British politician}} {{Unreliable sources|date=March 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}} {{Use British English|date=March 2018}} '''Edward Albert Lessing''' OBE (28 July 1890 – 25 August 1964) was a British corn trader, Liberal Party politician and an early authority on Soviet Russia.<ref>The Downfall of the Liberal Party by Trevor Wilson</ref>
==Background== He was born in Mayfair, London the son of Albert and Augusta Lessing. He was educated at Marlborough and University College, Oxford. In 1918 he was awarded the OBE.<ref>‘LESSING, Edward Albert’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U57507, accessed 6 Feb 2014]{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
==Professional career== Lessing qualified as a Barrister, having received a Call to Bar, by the Inner Temple.<ref>‘LESSING, Edward Albert’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U57507, accessed 6 Feb 2014]{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He was Chairman of Strauss & Company Limited, grain merchants.<ref>The Times House of Commons 1929</ref> From 1945 to 1947 he worked as an Interpreter IO, Civil Servant. He was a Director of the Baltic and Mercantile Exchange. He was Vice-Chairman of the National Federation of Corn Trade Associations. He was Chairman of Alexandria Trading Corporation Limited. From 1960 until his death he was a Director of Contemporary Review.<ref>‘LESSING, Edward Albert’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U57507, accessed 6 Feb 2014]{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He was on the governing body of Abingdon School from 1923 to 1924.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abingdon.org.uk/uploads/school/files/abingdonian/1924_March_V006_N011.pdf#page=1|title=School Notes|publisher=The Abingdonian}}</ref>
==Military service== During the First World War of 1914–1918, he served in Europe as a captain in the Grenadier Guards. He was a Member of the Military Mission to Russia. During the Second World War of 1939–1945 he served as a lieutenant in the Paymaster Royal Army Pay Corps from 1939 to 1942, and as a captain in the Pioneer Corps from 1942 to 1945.<ref>‘LESSING, Edward Albert’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U57507, accessed 6 Feb 2014]{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
==Political service== In 1922, he stood as the Liberal candidate in the Unionist-held constituency of Abingdon, in Buckinghamshire. Here Unionist Party candidates had been returned at every election since 1910. The last Liberal candidate to win here was Edward Strauss who was Lessing's uncle.<ref>The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History</ref> The Unionist was unopposed at the 1918 general election and at the 1921 Abingdon by-election. It therefore came as a bit of a surprise when Lessing lost by only 540 votes to the sitting Member of Parliament (MP) Arthur Loyd; {{Election box begin | |title=General election 1922<ref>British parliamentary election results 1918–1949, Craig, F.W.S.</ref> Electorate 26,541 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Unionist Party (UK) |candidate = Arthur Thomas Loyd |votes = 10,507 |percentage = 51.3 |change = n/a }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Liberal Party (UK) |candidate = '''Edward Albert Lessing''' |votes = 9,967 |percentage = 48.7 |change = n/a }} {{Election box majority| |votes = 540 |percentage = 2.6 |change = n/a }} {{Election box turnout| |votes = |percentage = 77.1 |change = n/a }} {{Election box hold with party link| |winner = Unionist Party (UK) |swing = n/a }} {{Election box end}} At the 1923 general election he won, with a majority of 254 votes over Ralph Glyn, Lloyd's successor as Unionist candidate. {{Election box begin | |title=General election 1923<ref>British parliamentary election results 1918–1949, Craig, F.W.S.</ref> Electorate 27,183 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Liberal Party (UK) |candidate = '''Edward Albert Lessing''' |votes = 10,932 |percentage = 50.6 |change = +1.9 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Unionist Party (UK) |candidate = Ralph George Campbell Glyn |votes = 10,678 |percentage = 49.4 |change = -1.9 }} {{Election box majority| |votes = 254 |percentage = 1.2 |change = -1.4 }} {{Election box turnout| |votes = |percentage = 79.5 |change = +2.4 }} {{Election box gain with party link| |winner = Liberal Party (UK) |loser = Unionist Party (UK) |swing = }} {{Election box end}} In parliament, the Liberal Party relied on Lessing's expertise on Soviet Russia. In August 1924, when the Labour government tried to push through parliament a proposed loan to the Soviet Union, Lessing led Liberal party objections and the proposal was defeated. Lessing issued a pamphlet severely criticising the treaty.<ref>The Downfall of the Liberal Party by Trevor Wilson</ref> Lessing served as Member of Parliament for less than a year, before another General election was called. This time, for the first time in Abingdon's history, a Labour candidate stood. This was a factor in Lessing losing his seat to Glyn at the 1924 general election; {{Election box begin | |title=General election 1924<ref>British parliamentary election results 1918–1949, Craig, F.W.S.</ref> Electorate 28,082 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Unionist Party (UK) |candidate = Ralph George Campbell Glyn |votes = 13,117 |percentage = 56.4 |change = +7.0 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Liberal Party (UK) |candidate = '''Edward Albert Lessing''' |votes = 8,805 |percentage = 37.8 |change = -12.8 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Labour Party (UK) |candidate = D F Brundril |votes = 1,355 |percentage = 5.8 |change = n/a }} {{Election box majority| |votes = 4,312 |percentage = 18.6 |change = 19.8 }} {{Election box turnout| |votes = |percentage = 82.9 |change = +3.4 }} {{Election box gain with party link| |winner = Unionist Party (UK) |loser = Liberal Party (UK) |swing = +9.9 }} {{Election box end}} He lost again at the 1929 election; {{Election box begin | |title=General election 1929<ref>British parliamentary election results 1918–1949, Craig, F.W.S.</ref> Electorate 36,758 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Unionist Party (UK) |candidate = Ralph George Campbell Glyn |votes = 14,094 |percentage = 47.4 |change = -9.0 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Liberal Party (UK) |candidate = '''Edward Albert Lessing''' |votes = 11,896 |percentage = 40.1 |change = +2.3 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Labour Party (UK) |candidate = A E Edgeworth Reade |votes = 3,712 |percentage = 12.5 |change = +6.7 }} {{Election box majority| |votes = 2,198 |percentage = 7.3 |change = -11.3 }} {{Election box turnout| |votes = |percentage = 80.8 |change = -2.1 }} {{Election box hold with party link| |winner = Unionist Party (UK) |swing = -5.7 }} {{Election box end}} He did not stand for Parliament again.
==Publications== *Soviet Treaties: An Examination of the General Treaty and the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation. Signed on 8 August 1924
He died in Kensington aged 73.
== External links == * {{Hansard-contribs | mr-edward-lessing | Edward Lessing }}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|uk}} {{succession box | title = Member of Parliament for Abingdon | years = 1923–1924 | before = Arthur Loyd | after = Ralph Glyn }} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lessing, Edward}} Category:1890 births Category:1964 deaths Category:Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Category:UK MPs 1923–1924 Category:Governors of Abingdon School Category:British Army personnel of World War I Category:Grenadier Guards officers Category:British Army personnel of World War II Category:Royal Army Pay Corps officers Category:Royal Pioneer Corps officers Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire