Richard Tracey facts for kids

Richard Patrick Tracey (8 February 1943 – 19 March 2020) was a British Conservative Party politician. He was also a journalist and a news presenter. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Surbiton from 1983 to 1997. During this time, he was the Minister for Sport between 1985 and 1987. Later, he became a Member of the London Assembly. He represented Merton and Wandsworth from 2008 until he retired in 2016. He was also the Deputy Leader of the Conservative group in the London Assembly.

Early Life and Education

Richard Tracey went to King Edward VI Grammar School in Stratford-upon-Avon. He then studied law at the University of Birmingham, where he earned a law degree.

From 1964 to 1966, Tracey worked as a writer for the Daily Express newspaper. He then joined the BBC from 1966 to 1978. There, he worked as a presenter and reporter on many TV and radio news shows and documentaries. After his time at the BBC, he worked as a public affairs consultant. He also wrote two books about sports.

Tracey tried to become an MP for Northampton North in 1974 but was not successful. He later became a leader in the Conservative Party in London.

Political Career

Serving in Parliament

Richard Tracey was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Surbiton in 1983. He served in this role until 1997. During his time as an MP, he was the Environment and Sports Minister from 1985 to 1987. He worked to stop football hooliganism and was against tobacco companies sponsoring sports. He also supported the idea of the National Lottery.

He was part of committees that looked at televising Parliament and public money. From 1990 to 1997, he led the group of Conservative MPs from London. In 1997, his Surbiton area changed due to new boundaries. He tried to become the MP for the new area, Kingston and Surbiton, but he did not win.

Working in the London Assembly

In 2008, Tracey was elected to the London Assembly. He represented the area of Merton and Wandsworth. He later became the Deputy Leader of the Conservative group there. He also led their work on transport.

He worked on many important projects for London. He pushed for stricter laws about transport strikes in London. He was happy when the Overground rail line reached Clapham Junction. He also worked to reduce pollution from buses and large trucks in places like Putney High Street. Tracey also supported extending the Wimbledon Tramlink to Morden and St Helier.

He was a Vice-Chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority from 2010 to 2012. He was also a Member of the Metropolitan Police Authority from 2008 to 2010. In 2008, Mayor Boris Johnson made him the Mayor's Ambassador for the River. In this role, he helped extend the fast river transport service up to Putney in 2013. He also helped get new piers built at Vauxhall, Battersea Reach, and Battersea Power Station.

From 2012 to 2016, he was the Chairman of the London Waste and Recycling Board. He worked on plans to increase recycling across London. He retired in 2016. After he left, Labour's Leonie Cooper won his former seat.

Tracey was given the title of Freeman of the City of London in 1984. He was also a Justice of the Peace, which means he helped with local justice.

Personal Life

Richard Tracey was married to Katharine Tracey, who was also a senior local politician. She served on the Wandsworth London Borough Council for 29 years. She received an award called the OBE for her work in education. Richard and Katharine had four children and eight grandchildren.

Richard Tracey passed away peacefully at his home on 19 March 2020. He was 77 years old.