PROFILBARU.COM

The Right Honourable
The Lord Ryder of Wensum
OBE PC
The Right Honourable The Lord Ryder of Wensum OBE PC
Chief Whip of the House of Commons; Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
	In office; 28 November 1990 – 20 July 1995
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Tim Renton
Succeeded by	Alastair Goodlad
Prime Minister	In office; 14 July 1990 – 28 November 1990
Junior ministerial offices 1986–1990
Paymaster General
	In office; 14 July 1990 – 28 November 1990
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	The Earl of Caithness
Succeeded by	The Lord Belstead
Economic Secretary to the Treasury
	In office; 24 July 1989 – 14 July 1990
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Peter Lilley
Succeeded by	John Maples
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
	In office; 25 July 1988 – 24 July 1989
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Donald Thompson
Succeeded by	David Curry
Assistant Government Whip
	In office; 16 October 1986 – 24 July 1988
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Member of Parliament ; for Mid Norfolk
	In office; 9 June 1983 – 8 April 1997
Preceded by	Constituency Created
Succeeded by	Keith Simpson
Political Secretary to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
	In office; 1979–1981
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Tom McNally
Succeeded by	Derek Howe
Personal details
Born	4 February 1949 (age 75)
Political party	Conservative
Alma mater	Magdalene College, Cambridge

Richard Andrew Ryder, Baron Ryder of Wensum, OBE, PC (born 4 February 1949) is a British Conservative Party politician. A former Member of Parliament (MP) and government minister, he was made a life peer in 1997 and was a member of the House of Lords from 1997 to 2021.

Early life

He was educated at Radley College and Magdalene College, Cambridge.

In the 1981 Birthday Honours Ryder was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), for political service.^[1]

Parliamentary career

Having unsuccessfully fought the Labour seat of Gateshead East in February and October 1974, Ryder was elected at the 1983 general election as MP for the Mid Norfolk constituency. From 1990 to 1995 he was the government's Chief Whip. This period includes the Conservative backbench rebellion over the Maastricht Treaty. The maverick MPs, known as the Maastricht Rebels, were under intense pressure from the government whips but still brought the administration of John Major close to collapse.

Ryder retired from the House of Commons at the 1997 general election, and was created a life peer as Baron Ryder of Wensum, of Wensum in the County of Norfolk on 22 November 1997. He retired from the Lords on 12 April 2021.^[2]

Outside Parliament

He became Vice-Chairman of the BBC on 1 January 2002 for a four-year term.

Ryder was appointed Acting Chairman of the BBC following the resignation of Gavyn Davies on 28 January 2004. Davies resigned following the criticism of the BBC in the Hutton Report, which was set up to investigate "the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr David Kelly". One of Ryder's first acts as chairman was to give a televised statement, during which he offered an unreserved apology for the mistakes made during the Dr. Kelly affair. This apology was criticised by many, including departing Director General, Greg Dyke, as overdone. In the same statement Ryder announced that the process to select a new Chairman had begun, and that he would not be putting his name forward. Michael Grade was appointed on 2 April 2004 and took up his post on 17 May; Ryder resumed the post of Vice-Chairman.

Ryder resigned early on 1 August 2004, after which the position was assumed by Anthony Salz.

Ryder is the Chairman of the Institute of Cancer Research, and is a director of Ipswich Town F.C.

Family

A nephew of Sue Ryder, later Baroness Ryder and Cheshire, he married in 1981 Caroline Stephens CVO, MBE, only daughter of Sir David Stephens and Clemency Gore-Browne.^[3]

Lord and Lady Ryder of Wensum had two children.

References

^ "No. 48639". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 June 1981. p. 11.
^ "No. 54961". The London Gazette. 27 November 1997. p. 13331.
^ www.burkespeerage.com

External links

Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Richard Ryder
BBC News Profile

Government offices
Preceded by Tom McNally	Political Secretary to the Prime Minister 1979–1981	Succeeded by Derek Howe
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Constituency reestablished	Member of Parliament for Mid Norfolk 1983–1997	Succeeded by Keith Simpson
Political offices
Preceded by Peter Lilley	Economic Secretary to the Treasury 1989	Succeeded by John Maples
Preceded by The Earl of Caithness	Paymaster General 1990	Succeeded by The Lord Belstead
Preceded by Tim Renton	Chief Whip of the Conservative Party 1990–1995	Succeeded by Alastair Goodlad
Preceded by Tim Renton	Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury 1990–1995	Succeeded by Alastair Goodlad
Media offices
Preceded by Gavyn Davies	Vice Chairman of the BBC Board of Governors 2002–2004	Succeeded by Anthony Salz
Preceded by Gavyn Davies	Chairman of the BBC Board of Governors Acting 2004	Succeeded by Michael Grade
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by The Lord Watson of Invergowrie	Gentlemen Baron Ryder of Wensum	Followed by The Lord Hattersley