{{Short description|Welsh and British Conservative politician (1947–2019)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Rod Richards | image = Rodrogers1999.jpg | order = | constituency_AM2 = [[North Wales (Senedd electoral region)|North Wales]] | assembly2 = National Assembly for Wales{{!}}Welsh | term_start2 = 6 May 1999 | term_end2 = 10 September 2002 | predecessor2 = [[Government of Wales Act 1998|''Constituency established'']] | successor2 = [[David Jones (Clwyd West MP)|David Jones]] | office = [[Welsh Conservatives#Leadership|Leader of the Welsh Conservative Party]] | term_start = 12 May 1999 | term_end = 18 August 1999 | leader = [[William Hague]] | predecessor = ''Office established'' | successor = [[Nick Bourne]] | office3 = [[Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales]] | term_start3 = 20 July 1994 | term_end3 = 2 June 1996 | predecessor3 = [[Nicholas Bennett (politician)|Nicholas Bennett]] | successor3 = [[Jonathan Evans (politician)|Jonathan Evans]] | prime_minister3 = [[John Major]] | constituency_MP4 = [[Clwyd North West (UK Parliament constituency)|Clwyd North West]] | parliament4 = | majority4 = | predecessor4 = [[Sir Anthony Meyer, 3rd Baronet|Sir Anthony Meyer]] | successor4 = ''Constituency abolished'' | term_start4 = 9 April 1992 | term_end4 = 8 April 1997 | birth_date = {{Birth date|1947|03|12|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Llanelli]], Wales | death_date = {{Death date and age|2019|07|13|1947|03|12|df=yes}} | death_place = [[Penarth]], Wales | spouse = | party = [[UK Independence Party]] (2013–2019) | other_party = [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] (until 2013) | relations = | children = 3 | education = [[Llandovery College]], [[Aberystwyth University]] | profession = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }}
'''Roderick Richards''' (12 March 1947 – 13 July 2019) was a British politician who was leader of the [[Welsh Conservatives]] from 1996 to 1999, and a [[Member of the Senedd|Welsh Assembly member]] (AM) for the [[North Wales (Senedd electoral region)|North Wales region]] from [[1999 National Assembly for Wales election|1999]] until [[2003 National Assembly for Wales election|2003]].
Prior to this, Richards was the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Clwyd North West (UK Parliament constituency)|Clwyd North West]], in Wales, from [[1992 United Kingdom general election|1992]] to [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997]].
He later defected to the [[UK Independence Party]] (UKIP) in 2013.
==Early life== Richards was born in [[Llanelli]] to Ivor George Richards and Lizzie Jane Richards (née Evans). Welsh-speaking Richards was educated at [[Llandovery College]] and at Swansea University where he gained a first class honours degree in economics and statistics. On 22 September 1969 he began training as a Royal Marines Officer. He failed to complete training and therefore was never commissioned into the Corps. Contrary to various published CVs he never served in Northern Ireland as a [[Royal Marines]] officer. He served on the intelligence staff of the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]], and worked as an economic forecaster.<ref name="BBC99">{{cite news | title=BBC News AMs profile | work=BBC | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/uk/wales/13120.stm| date=1 September 1999}}</ref> Richards, at one point, worked for [[MI6]]<ref name="autogenerated1999">{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/events/wales_99/the_welsh_assembly/308735.stm | work=BBC News | title=CV: Rod Richards | date=6 April 1999}}</ref>
Richards first rose to public prominence in the 1980s as a Welsh-language newsreader for [[BBC Cymru Wales|BBC Wales]].
==Political career==
===UK Parliament=== He first tried to enter parliament at the [[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987 general election]], when he stood unsuccessfully for the [[Carmarthen (UK Parliament constituency)|Carmarthen]] seat, giving up his job with the BBC to do so. He was unsuccessful again two years later at [[1989 Vale of Glamorgan by-election|a by-election]] for the [[Vale of Glamorgan (UK Parliament constituency)|Vale of Glamorgan]], again giving up his work as a broadcaster, but at the [[1992 United Kingdom general election|1992 general election]] he was elected as MP for the former parliamentary seat of Clwyd North West. During [[John Major]]'s government he was appointed [[Parliamentary Private Secretary]] in the [[Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office|Foreign and Commonwealth Office]] in 1993 and [[Welsh Office]] junior minister in 1994, but was forced to resign in 1996 when news of an extra-marital affair surfaced.<ref name=BBC99 />
At the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]], Richards stood for re-election in the successor constituency of [[Clwyd West (UK Parliament constituency)|Clwyd West]], but lost to [[Gareth Thomas (Welsh Labour politician)|Gareth Thomas]] of the [[Welsh Labour|Labour Party]].
He made several attempted Parliamentary comebacks, but failed to secure the nomination for Clwyd West ahead of the [[2001 United Kingdom general election|May 2001 general election]],<ref>{{cite news| url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/446716.stm | title = Tory AMs accused of 'jumping ship' | access-date = 18 July 2019 | date = 14 September 1999| work = [[BBC Online]]}}</ref> and was reported to be looking at several 'safe' conservative seats in England.<ref>{{cite news| url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/886031.stm | title = Richards' Tory seat search | access-date = 18 July 2018 | date = 18 August 2000 | work = [[BBC Online]]}}</ref>
===National Assembly for Wales=== Although defeated in his constituency seat during the first [[Senedd|Welsh Assembly]] [[1999 National Assembly for Wales election|elections in 1999]], he was elected to the new body as lead candidate on the Conservatives' regional top-up list. He was elected the Welsh Conservative Party Leader in a ballot of Welsh party members defeating [[Nick Bourne]],<ref name=BBC99 /> who was then widely known in the media to be [[William Hague]]'s first choice for the job. Richards stood down as leader after he was charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on a young woman.<ref name=BBC99 /> Bourne was then appointed leader by Hague. Richards was cleared of assault in June 2000.
Richards had the party whip withdrawn from him following his decision to abstain rather than vote with his fellow Conservatives against the Assembly's budget at the end of 1999. He continued to sit in the Assembly, as an 'Independent Conservative' until September 2002 when he resigned as an [[Member of the Senedd|Assembly Member]] (AM) due to problems with alcohol.<ref name=BBC03>{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/2745689.stm | work=BBC News | title=Rod Richards declared bankrupt | date=10 February 2003}}</ref>
Richards and his successor, [[Nick Bourne]] were known for hating one another. In one interview, Richards said he would consider opposing Bourne if the latter stood for Police Commissioner.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/welsh-politics/welsh-politics-news/2012/01/13/former-conservative-assembly-leader-rod-richards-may-oppose-nick-bourne-in-police-commissioner-race-91466-30113418/ |title=Former Conservative Assembly leader Rod Richards may oppose Nick Bourne in police commissioner race |publisher=WalesOnline |date=2012-01-13 |accessdate=2017-09-18}}</ref> When Bourne lost his seat in the [[2011 National Assembly for Wales election|2011 Assembly election]], Rod Richards was quoted in the Western Mail saying, "It has been a great week, bin Laden on Sunday Bourne on Friday." Osama bin Laden had been killed by American special forces in the days before polling day.<ref name="huffingtonpost1">{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/07/09/former-tory-ukip-nigel-farage_n_3566031.html |title=Former Tory MP Rod 'The Rottweiler' Richards Joins Ukip |work=HuffPost|date=2013-07-09 |accessdate=2017-09-18}}</ref>
Once Bourne had been appointed party leader by [[William Hague]], he refused to give Richards a portfolio in his 25 August reshuffle, leaving him as the only Welsh Conservative backbencher.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/800500.stm | work=BBC News | title=A colourful and controversial character | date=23 June 2000}}</ref> Richards stated, "We are perfectly happy to continue to promote the Welsh language. But we will not discriminate against those Welsh people who don't speak Welsh, or indeed anyone else who comes to live in Wales"; and, on Plaid Cymru, "They are an anti-British party. They reject everything that is British: our history, our values, our great achievements, our language, indeed the very existence of our British family. ... They want Wales out of the United Kingdom and into a federal European state. They want separation from England so that Wales can be ruled by Brussels."<ref name="autogenerated1999"/>
===Defection to UKIP===
In July 2013, Richards defected to [[UK Independence Party|UKIP]], after becoming "disillusioned with mainstream parties". He refused to be drawn on whether he wanted to seek UKIP's candidacy in the 2014 European Parliament election. Its then current MEP for Wales, [[John Bufton]], stood down in June 2014, being replaced by [[Nathan Gill]].<ref name="huffingtonpost1"/><ref>{{cite web|author=Daniel Davies |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-23238637 |title=Ex-Tory MP Rod Richards joins UKIP |publisher=BBC News |date=2013-07-09 |accessdate=2017-09-18}}</ref>
==Personal life== Richards was married to a psychologist, Liz, until their divorce, after revelations in June 1996 of his extra-marital affair.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/major-rushes-through-two-ministerial-appointments-after-resignation-of-richards-bid-to-limit-damage-of-sex-scandal-1.452188 |title=Major rushes through two ministerial appointments after resignation of Richards Bid to limit damage of sex scandal |publisher=Herald Scotland |date=1996-06-04 |accessdate=2017-09-18}}</ref> The couple had three children.{{citation needed|date=September 2017}}
In 1999, while Welsh Conservative leader, Richards was charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on a young woman but was acquitted after trial.<ref name=BBC99 />
At the [[High Court of Justice|High Court]] in London in February 2003, Richards was declared [[Bankruptcy|bankrupt]] with debts estimated at more than £300,000, which he linked to alcoholism.<ref name=BBC03 />
It was reported on 17 April 2008 that Richards had been arrested in connection with an alleged assault on a Conservative party worker.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7351866.stm |title=Ex-MP arrested in assault claim |publisher=BBC News |date=2008-04-17 |access-date=2017-09-18}}</ref> He was later released after receiving a caution from police. Richards became angry when the councillor, who was canvassing door-to-door, told him he hadn't been sent promotional literature as he was already listed as a prominent party member. When later asked about the incident, Richards said that he gave the young councillor, who was "half his age and twice his size", a "clip around the ear" for "being cheeky". He attributed the incident to lack of sleep.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7351866.stm|title=Ex-MP cautioned in assault claim|date=17 April 2008|publisher=BBC|access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref>
He died of cancer on 13 July 2019 at the age of 72.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-48205289 |title=Former Conservative politician Rod Richards dies |publisher=BBC News |date=2019-07-14 |accessdate=2019-07-14}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==Offices held== {{s-start}} {{s-par|uk}} {{s-bef | before = Sir [[Sir Anthony Meyer, 3rd Baronet|Anthony Meyer]] }} {{s-ttl | title = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Clwyd North West (UK Parliament constituency)|Clwyd North West]] | years = [[1992 United Kingdom general election|1992]] – [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997]] }} {{s-non | reason = Constituency abolished }} {{s-par|wal}} {{succession box |before= (new post) |title=[[Member of the Senedd|Assembly Member]] for [[North Wales (Senedd electoral region)|North Wales]] |years=[[1999 National Assembly for Wales election|1999]]–2002 |after=[[David Jones (Clwyd West MP)|David Ian Jones]] }} {{s-off}} {{succession box | title = [[Welsh Conservatives|Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the National Assembly]] | years = 1999 – 1999 | before=(new post) | after=[[Nick Bourne]] }} {{s-end}}{{Wales Conservative Party MPs}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Rod}} [[Category:1947 births]] [[Category:2019 deaths]] [[Category:Leaders of the Welsh Conservatives]] [[Category:Conservative Party members of the Senedd]] [[Category:Independent members of the Senedd]] [[Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for Welsh constituencies]] [[Category:People from Llanelli]] [[Category:UK MPs 1992–1997]] [[Category:Wales AMs 1999–2003]] [[Category:People educated at Llandovery College]] [[Category:Alumni of Swansea University]] [[Category:Alumni of Aberystwyth University]] [[Category:UK Independence Party politicians]] [[Category:Welsh-speaking politicians]] [[Category:Deaths from cancer in Wales]]