Thomas Frederick Richards (25 March 1863 – 4 October 1942) was a

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trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

ist and Labour Party politician. Born in

Wednesbury Wednesbury () is a market town in Sandwell in the county of West Midlands, England. It is located near the source of the River Tame. Historically part of Staffordshire in the Hundred of Offlow, at the 2011 Census the town had a population of ...

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

, in the English

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, he was the son of a commercial traveller. Following an elementary education, he started work at the age of eleven. He moved to

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

, a centre for the manufacture of footwear. In 1893 he began his career as a full-time union official, taking up a post with the Leicester Branch of the Boot and Shoe Operatives. From 1894–1903 he was a member of Leicester Borough Council. Richards was chosen by the Labour Representation Committee to contest the Wolverhampton West constituency at the 1906 general election. Against expectations he defeated the sitting

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Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

, Sir Alfred Hickman. The Conservatives put their defeat down to apathy by their supporters, and when the next general election was held in January 1910 made a determined effort to regain the seat. Their candidate,

Alfred Bird Alfred Bird (1811 – 15 December 1878) was an English food manufacturer and chemist. He was born in Nympsfield, Gloucestershire, England in 1811Baptised 25 August 1811 in Nympsfield, Gloucester, England. Parents John and Mary. International Ge ...

, was able to unseat Richards. Richards attempted to return to the

Commons The commons is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable Earth. These resources are held in common even when owned privately or publicly. Commons ...

in December 1910 when he unsuccessfully contested

East Northamptonshire East Northamptonshire was from 1974 to 2021 a local government district in Northamptonshire, England. Its council was based in Thrapston and Rushden. Other towns include Oundle, Raunds, Irthlingborough and Higham Ferrers. The town of Rushden wa ...

. Richards returned to trade union work and local politics. He was general president of the

National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives The National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives (NUBSO) was a trade union in the United Kingdom which existed between 1873 and 1971. It represented workers in the footwear industry. History The union was founded in 1873, when many riveters and ...

from 1910–1929 and a member of the Management Committee of the General Federation of Trades Unions from 1905–1924. He was a member of Leicester City Council 1929–1939. He died at his home at Birstall, Leicester, aged 79 in October 1942.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Thomas 1863 births 1942 deaths General Presidents of the National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives-sponsored MPs UK MPs 1906–1910 People from Wednesbury People from the Borough of Charnwood