Sir Edward Percy Rugg (14 January 1906 – 7 September 1986) was a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
politician, who served as the last leader of the
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
on
London County Council
London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...
, and the party's first leader on the
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council (GLC) was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council (LCC) which had covered a much smaller area. The GLC was dissolved in 198 ...
.
Rugg was educated at the
Leys School in
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
. He qualified as a solicitor in 1929, and in 1940 was elected to
Hertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Hertfordshire, in England, the United Kingdom. After the 2021 election, it consists of 78 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, ...
. Although he was not re-elected in 1945, he remained politically active, chairing the
Hertford
Hertford ( ) is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. The parish had a population of 26,783 at the 2011 census.
The town grew around a ford on the River Lea, ne ...
Conservative Association from 1948, and winning election to
Ware
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* William of Ware (), English Franciscan theologian
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*Fort Ware, British Columbia
United Kingdom
*Ware, Devon
*Ware, Hertfordshire
*Ware, Kent
United States
* Ware, Elmore County, Al ...
Rural District Council
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the Ad ...
in 1949, serving as its chair until 1954.
Rugg subsequently refocused his attention on London, and was appointed to London County Council as an
alderman
An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...
in 1958. The following year, he was chosen as leader of the Conservative Party group on the council, and thereby became the leader of the opposition. He switched to become a councillor in 1961, representing
Chelsea
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. In 1964, the council was abolished, but Rugg was elected to its replacement, the Greater London Council, representing
Kensington and Chelsea, and he continued as leader of the opposition until 1966.
Rugg stood down from the council in 1970, but remained active in the East Hertfordshire and Chelsea Conservative Associations into the 1980s, when he moved to
Sandwich
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in Kent. He was
knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
in 1959, and remained an active solicitor throughout his political career.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rugg, Percy
1906 births
1986 deaths
Members of Hertfordshire County Council
Conservative Party (UK) councillors
People educated at The Leys School
English solicitors
Members of the Greater London Council
Members of London County Council
Knights Bachelor
20th-century English lawyers
Deputy Lieutenants of Greater London