Tim Razzall, Baron Razzall

The Lord Razzall CBE
File:Tim Razzall at Bournemouth.jpg Tim, Lord Razzall
Life Peer (1997)
Personal details
Born	(1943-06-12) 12 June 1943 London, UK
Nationality	British
Political party	Liberal Democrats
Spouse(s)	2 (div.); partner, Jane Bonham Carter
Residence	London
Profession	Lawyer
Religion	Church of England

Edward Timothy Razzall, Baron Razzall, CBE (born 12 June 1943, Ealing, London) is a British Liberal Democrat politician and parliamentarian.

Early life

Razzall attended St Paul's School, London before going up to Worcester College, Oxford, representing the university at cricket in 1964.

Career

Razzall qualified as a solicitor in 1969 and worked for Frere Cholmeley (later Frere Cholmeley Bischoff), becoming a Partner in 1973, and Chief Executive in 1990 before leaving in 1995 to set up his own corporate finance business (Argonaut Associates).

In 1974 he was elected a Councillor for Mortlake Ward in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames which he represented for 24 years. During that time he served as Chair of Richmond Council's Policy and Resources Committee for 13 years and as Deputy Leader 1983-96. He was succeeded in both roles by Serge Lourie.

In 1986 he became joint-Treasurer of the Liberal Party and then Treasurer of the newly merged Liberal Democrats in 1988. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1993 New Year Honours and created a Life Peer on 22 October 1997 as Baron Razzall, of Mortlake in the London Borough of Richmond. In July 2002, he was the best man at the marriage of Charles Kennedy (the then Liberal Democrat Leader) to Sarah Gurling.

From 2000 to 2006, he was Chair of the Liberal Democrats' Campaigns and Communications Committee. Along with Lord Rennard, he was responsible for running the Liberal Democrats' election campaigns. He stepped down from this post in May 2006 saying he wanted a change and to give his successor a chance to settle into the role before the 2010 general election.

A former House of Lords Liberal Democrat Spokesman on Trade and Industry and Treasurer of the All Party Parliamentary Intellectual Property Group in Parliament, he now serves on various parliamentary committees.

Influences

His father, Humphrey Razzall, was a Liberal Party member who stood as Liberal Parliamentary Candidate for Scarborough and Whitby in the 1945 General Election.

Personal life

Razzall married first in 1965 (divorced 1974) Elizabeth Christina née Wilkinson, and had a daughter (The Hon Mrs Katie Milburn, Katie Razzall the BBC Newsnight reporter) and a son (The Hon James Razzall). Through his second marriage in 1982 (dissolved 2003) to Deirdre Martineau née Taylor-Smith, he became step-father to her two sons and two daughters.

Controversy

Lord Razzall attracted criticism when it was revealed that he and his partner, Baroness Bonham-Carter, share a flat but both claim expenses as members of the House of Lords. However the Mail on Sunday article declared that no breach of the rules occurred and in any event parliamentary rules on expenses were altered in 2010 to give all peers a flat rate irrespective of their residence.

Honours

• Life Peer (1997)
• CBE (1993)

External links

• Lord Razzall profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
• Tim Razzall's cricketing record for Oxford
• Debrett's People of Today
• RAZZALL, Baron , Who's Who 2013 (A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012)

Party political offices
Preceded by New position	Liberal Democrat Treasurer 1988–2000	Succeeded by Reg Clark