# Richard Reiss

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{{Short description|British Liberal Party politician}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
thumb|right
'''Richard Leopold Reiss''' (20 May 1883 – 30 September 1959), was a [British Liberal Party](/source/Liberal_Party_(UK)) politician who later joined the [Labour Party](/source/Labour_Party_(UK)). He was Director of the [Hampstead Garden Suburb](/source/Hampstead_Garden_Suburb) Trust Ltd. He was awarded the [Order of St Olav of Norway](/source/Order_of_St_Olav_of_Norway).<ref>'REISS, Richard Leopold', Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U242220, accessed 29 May 2016]</ref> In 1948 he was awarded the [Howard Memorial Medal](/source/Ebenezer_Howard) for outstanding services to town planning.<ref>"Mr. R. L. Reiss." Times [London, England] 2 October 1959: 15. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 29 May 2016.</ref>

==Political career==
Reiss was active first for the Liberal Party, both as a policy developer and as a parliamentary candidate. He later joined the Labour Party, standing as a parliamentary candidate. He worked primarily in the fields of land reform, housing and town planning and had published a number of works. In all, he stood for parliament on eight occasions, without success.

===Liberal Party===

====Chichester====
Reiss first stood for parliament at the age of 27, as Liberal candidate for the safe Conservative seat of [Chichester](/source/Chichester_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) at both the [January](/source/January_1910_United_Kingdom_general_election) and [December 1910](/source/December_1910_United_Kingdom_general_election) general elections. 
{{Election box begin |
  |title=[General Election January 1910](/source/January_1910_United_Kingdom_general_election): Chichester<ref>British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, FWS Craig</ref><ref>Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916</ref>
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Conservative Party (UK)
 |candidate = [Edmund FitzAlan-Howard](/source/Edmund_FitzAlan-Howard%2C_1st_Viscount_FitzAlan_of_Derwent)
 |votes =6,589
 |percentage = 66.4
 |change = +10.0
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Liberal Party (UK)
 |candidate = Richard Reiss
 |votes = 3,338
 |percentage = 33.6
 |change = -10.0
}}
{{Election box majority|
 |votes = 3,251
 |percentage = 32.8
 |change = +20.0
}}
{{Election box turnout|
 |votes = 
 |percentage = 81.7
 |change = -0.4
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
  |winner     = Conservative Party (UK)
  |swing      = +10.0
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin |
  |title=[General Election December 1910](/source/December_1910_United_Kingdom_general_election): Chichester<ref>British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, FWS Craig</ref><ref>Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916</ref>
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Conservative Party (UK)
 |candidate = [Edmund FitzAlan-Howard](/source/Edmund_FitzAlan-Howard%2C_1st_Viscount_FitzAlan_of_Derwent)
 |votes =5,900
 |percentage = 66.4
 |change = 0.0
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Liberal Party (UK)
 |candidate = Richard Reiss
 |votes = 2,985
 |percentage = 33.6
 |change = 0.0
}}
{{Election box majority|
 |votes = 2,915
 |percentage = 32.8
 |change = 0.0
}}
{{Election box turnout|
 |votes = 
 |percentage = 73.1
 |change = -8.6
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
  |winner     = Conservative Party (UK)
  |swing      = 0.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

====Land reform====
thumb|right|Roden Buxton
He worked with [Roden Buxton](/source/Charles_Roden_Buxton) at the National Land and Home League, and was appointed Chair of the Housing sub-committee in 1911.<ref>Daily News 21 June 1912</ref> In 1912, Reiss was employed by Chancellor of the Exchequer, [David Lloyd George](/source/David_Lloyd_George) as Head Organiser of the Rural Land Inquiry, which was given the task of formulating new Liberal land reform policy in advance of the general election. He organised an enquiry into conditions in over 2,000 villages in England and Wales and drafted most of the rural report which was published under the title 'The Land' (Vol. I. Rural). However, that work was cut short by the outbreak of war in 1914 and the election postponed until after the war.

====St Pancras====
The St Pancras East Liberal Association and the constituency's Liberal MP, [Joseph Martin](/source/Joseph_Martin_(Canadian_politician)) had a difficult relationship. By 1914 the association did not want Martin to continue as their MP and in May selected Reiss to be their candidate for the general election expected to be called late 1914/early 1915.<ref>Shoreditch Observer 2 May 1914</ref> Martin said he would resign his seat and contest the resulting by-election as an Independent [Lib-Lab](/source/Liberal-Labour_(UK)) candidate. Confronted with the prospect of losing the by-election to the Unionist, due to a split Liberal vote, the Liberal association told Martin in June that they would not contest the by-election.<ref>"News in Brief." Times [London, England] 1 June 1914: 6. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 29 May 2016.</ref> In July Martin announced that he would instead resign his seat and return to his native Canada, allowing Reiss to run against a Unionist in the by-election.<ref>Liverpool Echo 6 July 1914</ref> Martin changed his mind again and decided not to resign his seat. In August war was declared, the general election was deferred, Reiss resigned as candidate to enlisted and Martin continued as MP. 
Relations between Martin and the association continued to be uncertain through into 1917. The association were keen to have a candidate in place in the event of a Martin resignation, so they selected Percy Adams as their candidate in July 1917.<ref>Manchester Evening News 27 July 1917</ref> The following month, after being wounded in the war, Reiss returned to England. He was immediately seconded by Lloyd George to the [Ministry of Reconstruction](/source/Ministry_of_Reconstruction) to work under [Christopher Addison](/source/Christopher_Addison) on tackling housing problems once the war was over.

In 1918 Reiss sought election to parliament for the newly created [St Pancras South East](/source/St_Pancras_South_East_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) constituency. The constituency was created from the Unionist held seat of [St Pancras South](/source/St_Pancras_South_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) and the Liberal seat of [St Pancras East](/source/St_Pancras_East_(UK_Parliament_constituency)). In 1917 the Liberal MP for East, [Joseph Martin](/source/Joseph_Martin_(Canadian_politician)) decided to retire from parliament at the next general election.  When the new South East constituency was created in 1918, the newly formed South East liberal association in April 1918, selected Reiss as their candidate.<ref>"News in Brief." Times [London, England] 15 April 1918: 12. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 29 May 2016.</ref> Reiss immediately won the support of his former employer, now Prime Minister Lloyd George.<ref>Rochdale Observer 30 November 1918</ref> In December 1917, the Unionists had selected their candidate for the new South East seat, namely [John Hopkins](/source/Sir_John_Hopkins%2C_1st_Baronet), who had been their candidate for St Pancras East since 1910.<ref>Reading Mercury 15 December 1917</ref>

When candidate nominations closed for the [1918 general election](/source/1918_United_Kingdom_general_election), there were four candidates in the field; Reiss (Liberal), Hopkins (Unionist), [Romeril](/source/Herbert_George_Romeril) (Labour) and Adams, who had been chosen by the Liberals the previous year to fight the old East seat. Of the four candidates, only the Labour candidate was not a declared supporter of the Coalition Government. Reiss assumed that he would be endorsed by the Coalition Government, since Lloyd George had publicly supported him when he was selected back in the spring. Coalition Government endorsement was initially issued to him but subsequently withdrawn. Joseph Martin, the retiring Liberal MP for St Pancras East, had crossed the floor to join the Labour Party and endorsed Reiss's Labour Party opponent. These factors combined to deny Reiss victory.
thumb|250px|St Pancras South East in London 1918
{{Election box begin | title=[General Election 14 December 1918](/source/1918_United_Kingdom_general_election): St Pancras South-East
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Unionist Party (UK)
  |candidate  = [John Hopkins](/source/Sir_John_Hopkins%2C_1st_Baronet)
  |votes      = 4,884
  |percentage = 37.8
  |change     = n/a
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Liberal Party (UK)
  |candidate  = Richard Reiss
  |votes      = 3,594
  |percentage = 27.8
  |change     = n/a
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Independent Liberal
  |candidate  = Percy Adams
  |votes      = 2,263
  |percentage = 17.5
  |change     = n/a
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Labour Party (UK)
  |candidate  = [Herbert Romeril](/source/Herbert_Romeril)
  |votes      = 2,189
  |percentage = 16.9
  |change     = n/a
}}
{{Election box majority|
  |votes      = 1,290
  |percentage = 10.0
  |change     = n/a
}}
{{Election box turnout|
  |votes      = 
  |percentage = 47.2
  |change     = n/a
}}
{{Election box win
  |winner     = Unionist Party (UK)
  |swing      = n/a
}}
{{Election box end}}

===Labour Party===

====Colchester====
Reiss stood for parliament as a Labour Party candidate for [Colchester](/source/Colchester_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) on four occasions; 1922, 1923, 1924 and 1929.
thumb|250px|Colchester in Essex 1920s
{{Election box begin |
|title=[General Election 1923](/source/1923_United_Kingdom_general_election): Colchester<ref>British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, FWS Craig</ref> 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party      = Unionist Party (UK)
|candidate  = [Laming Worthington-Evans](/source/Laming_Worthington-Evans)
|votes  = 10,535
|percentage  = 43.4
|change  = -13.3
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party      = Labour Party (UK)
|candidate  = Richard Reiss
|votes  = 8,316
|percentage  = 34.2
|change  = -9.1
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party      = Liberal Party (UK)
|candidate  = [Arthur Horne Goldfinch](/source/Arthur_Horne_Goldfinch)
|votes  = 5,430
|percentage  = 22.4
|change  = n/a
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes  = 2,219
|percentage  = 9.2
|change  = -4.2
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes  = 
|percentage  = 78.2
|change  = 
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner     = Unionist Party (UK)
|swing      = -2.1
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin |
|title=[General Election 1929](/source/1929_United_Kingdom_general_election): Colchester<ref>British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, FWS Craig</ref> 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party      = Unionist Party (UK)
|candidate  = [Oswald Lewis](/source/Oswald_Lewis)
|votes  = 13,411
|percentage  = 40.3
|change  = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party      = Labour Party (UK)
|candidate  = Richard Reiss
|votes  = 12,809
|percentage  = 38.5
|change  = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party      = Liberal Party (UK)
|candidate  = [William Elliston](/source/William_Rowley_Elliston)
|votes  = 6,896
|percentage  = 20.7
|change  = n/a
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party      = Independent Unionist
|candidate  = C.C. Gray
|votes  = 172
|percentage  = 0.5
|change  = n/a
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes  = 602
|percentage  = 1.8
|change  = 
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes  = 
|percentage  = 
|change  = 
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner     = Unionist Party (UK)
|swing      = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

====Preston====
Reiss did not contest the 1931 General election. He unsuccessfully contested the dual member seat of [Preston](/source/Preston_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) at the 1935 General Election. He did not stand for parliament again.<ref>British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1973, FWS Craig</ref> 
{{Election box begin |
 |title=[General Election 1935](/source/1935_United_Kingdom_general_election): Preston (2 seats)
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Conservative Party (UK)
 |candidate = [Adrian Moreing](/source/Adrian_Moreing)
 |votes = 37,219
 |percentage = 26.9
 |change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Conservative Party (UK)
 |candidate = [William Kirkpatrick](/source/William_Kirkpatrick_(Conservative_politician))
 |votes = 36,797
 |percentage = 26.7
 |change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Labour Party (UK)
 |candidate = Robert Arthur Lyster
 |votes = 32,225
 |percentage = 23.3
 |change =
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Labour Party (UK)
 |candidate = Richard Reiss
 |votes = 31,827
 |percentage = 23.1
 |change =
}}
{{Election box majority|
 |votes = 4,572
 |percentage = 3.4
 |change =
}}
{{Election box turnout|
 |votes =
 |percentage = 81.9
 |change =
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
 |winner = Conservative Party (UK)
 |swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}

===Publications===
*1913 – LAND ENQUIRY COMMITTEE REPORT : RURAL
*1918 – THE HOME I WANT
*1918 – (March) – paper to TPI Reconstruction with particular reference to housing.
*1921 – TOWN THEORY AND PRACTICE (Joint)
*1924 – THE NEW HOUSING HANDBOOK
*1924 – COPEC COMMISSION REPORT : VOL III – THE HOME
*1926 – THE TOWN PLANNING HANDBOOK
*1937 – BRITISH AND AMERICAN HOUSING (NPHC)
*1937 – (June) – paper to TPI Recent developments in city planning and housing in the USA
*1945 – MUNICIPAL AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISE HOUSING (Dent)

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reiss, Richard Leopold}}
Category:1883 births
Category:1959 deaths
Category:Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates
Category:Labour Party (UK) parliamentary candidates
Category:People educated at Marlborough College
Category:Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford
Category:Members of Lincoln's Inn

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Richard Reiss](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Reiss) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Reiss?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.