Ronald Joseph Ledger (7 November 1920 – 11 December 2004)[1][2] was a Labour Co-operative politician in the United Kingdom.

Early life

Ledger was born in Tunbridge Wells[citation needed] and was raised in a Barnardo's orphanage after his father abandoned the family in 1923, during which time he was separated from his brother, sister, and pregnant mother.[3] He was educated at Skinner's Grammar School and then at the University of Nottingham,[4] where he founded the university's Labour Club and was its first chairman from 1948 to 1949.[4]

He served with the Royal Air Force from 1942 to 1947.[4]

Politics

Ledger unsuccessfully contested Rushcliffe at the 1951 general election,[4] and was a member of Hertfordshire County Council from 1952 to 1954.[4]

He was elected at the 1955 general election as the Labour Co-operative Member of Parliament (MP) for Romford,[5] and held the seat until he retired from Parliament at the 1970 general election.[4]

Ledger was a director of the London Co-operative Society from 1961.[4] He was later the owner of a casino, and served as chairman of the Hairdressing Council from 1966.[4]

References

  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "R" (part 2)
  2. ^ "Obituaries | Ron Ledger | Labour MP who was a Barnardo's boy". The Independent. 16 December 2004. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Nostalgia: Barnardo's boy elected as Romford MP". Ilford Recorder. 26 July 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Stenton, Michael; Lees, Stephens (1981). Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume IV, 1945–1979. Brighton: The Harvester Press. pp. 212–3. ISBN 0-85527-335-6.
  5. ^ "No. 4049". The London Gazette. 31 May 1955. p. 3152.

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded byJohn Cutts Lockwood Member of Parliament for Romford 1955–1970 Succeeded byDick Leonard


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