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Richard Younger-Ross – Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Minister

Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Minister
MP for Teignbridge
Liberal Democrat candidate for Newton Abbot

Biography

Richard Younger-Ross was first elected to Parliament in 2001. Previously he was a self-employed architectural consultant, working in Teignmouth. Born in 1953, he spent his early life in Surrey, where he developed his interest in politics. At the age of nine he was impressed by the then Liberal leader Jo Grimond. Since then Richard has been, as Jo instructed, "Marching to the sound of gunfire". Most of his working life has been spent in architectural practices but in the 80s he helped run his father's insurance brokerage and the family store in Shepperton Film Studios, as well as a stint as political researcher in the House of Commons. In 1982 he worked abroad in Iraq.

Richard married Susan in 1982 and moved with her to Devon in 1989. He has been actively involved in politics since he was 17, joining the Liberal Party in 1970. He served on the Liberal Party Council from 1979 to 1982 and was a Vice-Chair of the National Young Liberals. He fought for his first Parliamentary seat (Chislehurst) in 1987, and held second place in a hard fight for the Party. Richard was selected to fight Teignbridge for the Liberal Democrats in 1992 and 1997, reducing the Conservative majority from 10,425 to only 281. He finally won the seat in 2001, and was re-elected in 2005.

Richard is a member of the Howard League for Penal Reform and Anti-Slavery International. He was co-ordinator for the Christian Housing Coalition in Teignbridge in 1995. Richard and Sue are active Christians and attend Our Lady and St Patrick's Church in Teignmouth. In his spare time he rows and recently completed the 22 mile long Great River Race on the Thames into London. According to his friends he is an excellent cook, as is Susan, and together they collect old cookbooks.

In 2007 Richard became a Shadow Minister in the Culture, Media and Sport team.

Parliamentary Experience

2007- Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Minister, 2005- European Scrutiny Select Committee, 2005- Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Elected as MP in 2001