Richard Robert Fairbairn

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Richard Robert James Fairbairn (27 May 1867 – 14 October 1941) was a British tramways and bus manager, a Justice of the Peace, and a Liberal Party politician.

He was the son of a London labor leader, possibly RR Fairbairn who led the Amalgamated Society of Watermen, Lighters and Bargemen. He was educated in Toronto, Canada, and after working as a manager of tramway and omnibus undertakings in London and Birmingham, he moved to Worcester to run the Worcester Tramway Company. He married and had six sons and three daughters.

During the First World War, Fairbairn served as Food Transport Officer for the Midlands and as Midland Road Transport Officer. He later became chairman of the Board of Commissioners for the River Severn.

In politics, he was active in Worcester as secretary of the Worcester Liberal Association, a political agent and canvasser, and a member of Worcester Council. He first stood for Parliament in Worcester at the December 1910 general election, reducing the Unionist majority but not winning. He stood eight times for the Liberals in Worcester.

In 1918, the sitting Conservative MP benefited from the Coalition government’s support and kept his seat. In 1922 Fairbairn finally won Worcester, turning a Unionist majority of 4,554 into a Liberal majority of 773. His Conservative opponent was Henry Lygon. The Conservatives were overconfident and divided, which helped Fairbairn.

In 1923 Fairbairn faced Crawford Green of the Conservatives. He then stood again in 1924, 1929, 1931 and 1935, finishing second to the Conservatives each time, except in 1929 when Labour overtook him; he never regained the seat.

Fairbairn died on 14 October 1941 while serving as Mayor of Worcester; he had been granted the Freedom of the City in July that year. Some scholars say his repeated second-place finishes kept Liberalism alive in Worcester when the party was weakening elsewhere.