Beresford Richards
Encyclopedia
Beresford Richards (August 26, 1914, Aiegnmouth, Cornwall, England
– May 1982) was a politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
from 1943 to 1949. Elected as a candidate of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, he was twice expelled from that party during his tenure in the legislature.
Richards's father, Beresford Walter Richards, was a member of the Canadian Authors' Association. The younger Richards came to Canada in 1921, and was educated in Athabaska, Alberta and at the University of Alberta
in Edmonton, receiving a Bachelor of Science
degree in Mining Engineering.
He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in a by-election
held in The Pas on August 17, 1943, to replace former Premier
John Bracken
after the latter's move to federal politics. Although the CCF had never elected a candidate in The Pas, Richards won an overwhelming victory against three opponents. During this campaign, he ran on a platform advocating socialism
as it had been introduced by the Labour government of New Zealand
. The CCF was the dominant opposition party in Manitoba during this period, and Richards sat with his party on the opposition benches.
Richards was a charismatic personality, known for a powerful debating style and flamboyant manner of dressing. He was soon appointed to the provincial CCF executive as the party's chief organizer, and built a powerful constituency base within the party. At one time, the CCF organization in The Pas was the largest in the province. Richards was a maverick on the left-wing of the CCF, and the similarity of his views with those of the communist Labour-Progressive Party
made him many enemies in his own party.
In a 1945 letter to the Manitoba CCF executive committee, Richards and fellow maverick Dwight Johnson
called for cooperation with other left-wing and progressive parties against the Progressive Conservatives
in the upcoming federal election. Their position was identical to that promoted by the Labour Progressive Party, and many in the CCF leadership believed that Richards and Johnson were directly influenced by the LPP. The CCF leadership, including Stanley Knowles
and Donovan Swailes
, forcefully opposed Richards and Johnson's position. The party was especially upset at Richards's decision to meet with the CCF executive in Portage la Prairie, to discuss the possibility of running a "united front" candidate of the left.
Richards and Johnson were soon marginalized in the party. Stanley Knowles accused Richards of holding Communist sympathies at party gathering, and Richards was deliberately left uninformed of executive meetings. Denied the opportunity to promote his position in the CCF newspaper, Richards read a statement in the provincial legislature during the 1945 session, calling for cooperation with other progressive parties and advocating friendly relations with the Soviet Union
. In making this statement, he also accused the CCF leadership of suppressing debate within party channels.
Richards later claimed that the party leadership had been "embarking on a right wing course" by its actions during this period. Ironically, some CCF members interpreted the Richards-Johnson position as a shift away from socialism
, in that the "broad left" coalition they were advocating included left-leaning members of the Liberal Party
. Many party members supported Richards and Johnson in their battles against the CCF hierarchy, however, and Richards in particular remained very popular with his riding association.
Richards and Johnson were both suspended from the CCF by the provincial council in 1945, by a vote of 33 to 5. Although the council could not expel members from the party, the two MLAs
were immediately expelled from the CCF legislative caucus.
In the 1945 federal election
, Richards supported federal Cooperative Commonwealth Federation candidate Ronald Moore in the riding of Churchill
, on the grounds that Moore was the candidate best positioned to defeat the Progressive Conservative candidate. Moore was, in fact, elected.
A few months later, Richards ran for re-election in the 1945 provincial election
as an "Independent CCF" candidate. He convinced the local CCF organization not to field a candidate against him, and was re-elected over Progressive Conservative
candidate Robert Milton
by 81 votes.
Richards wrote a conciliatory appeal to the Manitoba CCF after the election, and asked for reinstatement. At the party's general convention in December 1945, he was re-admitted to the party by a delegated vote of 80 to 35. Stanley Knowles continued to oppose him, but was in Britain
when the convention took place.
Richards continued to support cooperation among left parties and to advocate friendly relations with the Soviet Union, but he avoided open criticism of the party leadership. In the legislature, he was known as the CCF's most skilled debater.
Richards sought the leadership of the Manitoba CCF in 1947, following the resignation of Seymour J. Farmer
. He was defeated by Edwin Hansford
.
Even after his reinstatement, Richards's views continued to create tensions with others in the CCF. In 1948, he successfully passed a motion at the party's general convention calling for opposition to America's foreign policy in Europe. Similarly, in March 1949, he was the only other CCF caucus member who did not repudiate statements made by St. Clements MLA Wilbert Doneleyko
, denouncing the Marshall Plan
and plans for an Atlantic Treaty as a new American hegemony. Shortly thereafter, both Richards and Doneleyko signed a letter calling for the CCF to oppose the emerging North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
After this letter was circulated, Stanley Knowles and Donovan Swailes again accused Richards of adopting Communist tactics to disrupt the CCF. At the party's 1949 convention, Richards and Doneleyko were expelled from the party by a vote of 56 to 18. The next day, the party passed a resolution in support of NATO.
Richards again ran as an "Independent CCF" candidate in the 1949 election
, and was again endorsed by the local CCF association. However, at the behest of the provincial executive, a rival party organization was created in The Pas and an official CCF candidate nominated. Both candidates were resoundingly defeated by Liberal
Francis Bud Jobin, who took nearly three times as many votes as Richards.
The loss ended Richards's political career. He quietly rejoined the CCF in the 1950s, but never again sought provincial or federal office.
Lloyd Stinson
, who led the Manitoba CCF from 1952 to 1959, once wrote the following about Richards:
"Berry Richards' defection from the CCF was a matter of great regret to many people. He had made friends among the membership and the highly regarded as an organizer, particularly in the rural areas. He was clever, quick in debate, young and handsome, attractive to both men and women; if he had been able to adhere to CCF policy he undoubtedly would have become provincial leader. With his ruthless philosophy, acid tongue and uncompromising attitude, it is my firm opinion that Richards would have been a disaster as leader."
(Lloyd Stinson, Political Warriors, Winnipeg: Queenston House Publishing Inc., 1975, pp. 105–06.)
Richards returned to his profession as a mining engineer after leaving politics. In 1986, W.O. Kupsch and S.D. Hanson published a work entitled, "Gold and Other Stories as told to Berry Richards : Prospecting and Mining in Northern Saskatchewan".
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
– May 1982) was a politician in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
from 1943 to 1949. Elected as a candidate of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, he was twice expelled from that party during his tenure in the legislature.
Richards's father, Beresford Walter Richards, was a member of the Canadian Authors' Association. The younger Richards came to Canada in 1921, and was educated in Athabaska, Alberta and at the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
in Edmonton, receiving a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in Mining Engineering.
He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held in The Pas on August 17, 1943, to replace former Premier
Premier of Manitoba
The Premier of Manitoba is the first minister for the Canadian province of Manitoba. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. Until the early 1970s, the title "Prime Minister of Manitoba" was used frequently. Afterwards, the word Premier, derived from the French...
John Bracken
John Bracken
John Bracken, PC was an agronomist, the 11th Premier of Manitoba and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada ....
after the latter's move to federal politics. Although the CCF had never elected a candidate in The Pas, Richards won an overwhelming victory against three opponents. During this campaign, he ran on a platform advocating socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
as it had been introduced by the Labour government of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The CCF was the dominant opposition party in Manitoba during this period, and Richards sat with his party on the opposition benches.
Richards was a charismatic personality, known for a powerful debating style and flamboyant manner of dressing. He was soon appointed to the provincial CCF executive as the party's chief organizer, and built a powerful constituency base within the party. At one time, the CCF organization in The Pas was the largest in the province. Richards was a maverick on the left-wing of the CCF, and the similarity of his views with those of the communist Labour-Progressive Party
Labour-Progressive Party
For the Labour-Progressive Coalition Government in New Zealand see the Fifth Labour Government of New ZealandThe Labor-Progressive Party was the legal political organization of the Communist Party of Canada between 1943 and 1959....
made him many enemies in his own party.
In a 1945 letter to the Manitoba CCF executive committee, Richards and fellow maverick Dwight Johnson
Dwight Johnson
Dwight Lyman Johnson was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1943 to 1945. Elected as a member of the Manitoba Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, Johnson had a tenuous relationship with the party leadership and was expelled from the party...
called for cooperation with other left-wing and progressive parties against the Progressive Conservatives
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
in the upcoming federal election. Their position was identical to that promoted by the Labour Progressive Party, and many in the CCF leadership believed that Richards and Johnson were directly influenced by the LPP. The CCF leadership, including Stanley Knowles
Stanley Knowles
Stanley Howard Knowles, PC, OC was a Canadian parliamentarian. Knowles represented the riding of Winnipeg North Centre from 1942 to 1958 on behalf of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and again from 1962 to 1984 representing the CCF's successor, the New Democratic Party .Knowles was widely...
and Donovan Swailes
Donovan Swailes
Donovan Swailes was a politician and musician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as a member of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation from 1945 to 1959....
, forcefully opposed Richards and Johnson's position. The party was especially upset at Richards's decision to meet with the CCF executive in Portage la Prairie, to discuss the possibility of running a "united front" candidate of the left.
Richards and Johnson were soon marginalized in the party. Stanley Knowles accused Richards of holding Communist sympathies at party gathering, and Richards was deliberately left uninformed of executive meetings. Denied the opportunity to promote his position in the CCF newspaper, Richards read a statement in the provincial legislature during the 1945 session, calling for cooperation with other progressive parties and advocating friendly relations with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. In making this statement, he also accused the CCF leadership of suppressing debate within party channels.
Richards later claimed that the party leadership had been "embarking on a right wing course" by its actions during this period. Ironically, some CCF members interpreted the Richards-Johnson position as a shift away from socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
, in that the "broad left" coalition they were advocating included left-leaning members of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
. Many party members supported Richards and Johnson in their battles against the CCF hierarchy, however, and Richards in particular remained very popular with his riding association.
Richards and Johnson were both suspended from the CCF by the provincial council in 1945, by a vote of 33 to 5. Although the council could not expel members from the party, the two MLAs
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
were immediately expelled from the CCF legislative caucus.
In the 1945 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1945
The Canadian federal election of 1945 was the 20th general election in Canadian history. It was held June 11, 1945 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 20th Parliament of Canada...
, Richards supported federal Cooperative Commonwealth Federation candidate Ronald Moore in the riding of Churchill
Churchill (electoral district)
Churchill is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1935. It covers northern Manitoba, a vast wilderness area dotted with small municipalities and First Nations reserves...
, on the grounds that Moore was the candidate best positioned to defeat the Progressive Conservative candidate. Moore was, in fact, elected.
A few months later, Richards ran for re-election in the 1945 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1945
Manitoba's general election of October 15, 1945 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The 1945 provincial election was extremely different from the previous election, which was held in 1941...
as an "Independent CCF" candidate. He convinced the local CCF organization not to field a candidate against him, and was re-elected over Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
candidate Robert Milton
Robert Milton
Robert A. Milton is the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of ACE Aviation Holdings Inc., the parent company of Air Canada. He is also a former Chairman, President and CEO of Air Canada.-Early life and education:...
by 81 votes.
Richards wrote a conciliatory appeal to the Manitoba CCF after the election, and asked for reinstatement. At the party's general convention in December 1945, he was re-admitted to the party by a delegated vote of 80 to 35. Stanley Knowles continued to oppose him, but was in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
when the convention took place.
Richards continued to support cooperation among left parties and to advocate friendly relations with the Soviet Union, but he avoided open criticism of the party leadership. In the legislature, he was known as the CCF's most skilled debater.
Richards sought the leadership of the Manitoba CCF in 1947, following the resignation of Seymour J. Farmer
Seymour J. Farmer
Seymour James Farmer was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as the 30th mayor of Winnipeg from 1923 to 1924, and was later the leader of the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1935 to 1947. In the latter capacity, he became the first socialist politician in Canada to...
. He was defeated by Edwin Hansford
Edwin Hansford
Edwin A. Hansford was a politician in Manitoba, Canada, and served as leader of that province's Co-operative Commonwealth Federation between 1948 and 1952.Hansford was born in the Annapolis Valley region of Nova Scotia...
.
Even after his reinstatement, Richards's views continued to create tensions with others in the CCF. In 1948, he successfully passed a motion at the party's general convention calling for opposition to America's foreign policy in Europe. Similarly, in March 1949, he was the only other CCF caucus member who did not repudiate statements made by St. Clements MLA Wilbert Doneleyko
Wilbert Doneleyko
Wilbert Doneleyko is a former politician in Manitoba, Canada. Born in Rossburn, Manitoba, he served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1945 to 1949.-References:...
, denouncing the Marshall Plan
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was the large-scale American program to aid Europe where the United States gave monetary support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II in order to combat the spread of Soviet communism. The plan was in operation for four years beginning in April 1948...
and plans for an Atlantic Treaty as a new American hegemony. Shortly thereafter, both Richards and Doneleyko signed a letter calling for the CCF to oppose the emerging North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
After this letter was circulated, Stanley Knowles and Donovan Swailes again accused Richards of adopting Communist tactics to disrupt the CCF. At the party's 1949 convention, Richards and Doneleyko were expelled from the party by a vote of 56 to 18. The next day, the party passed a resolution in support of NATO.
Richards again ran as an "Independent CCF" candidate in the 1949 election
Manitoba general election, 1949
Manitoba's general election of November 10, 1949 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election pitted the province's coalition government, made up of the Liberal-Progressive Party and the Progressive Conservative Party, against a variety of...
, and was again endorsed by the local CCF association. However, at the behest of the provincial executive, a rival party organization was created in The Pas and an official CCF candidate nominated. Both candidates were resoundingly defeated by Liberal
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
Francis Bud Jobin, who took nearly three times as many votes as Richards.
The loss ended Richards's political career. He quietly rejoined the CCF in the 1950s, but never again sought provincial or federal office.
Lloyd Stinson
Lloyd Stinson
Lloyd Stinson was a politician in Manitoba, Canada, and the leader of that province's Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1953 to 1959. Although widely regarded as a capable leader, he was unable to achieve a major electoral breakthrough for his party.Stinson was born in Treherne,...
, who led the Manitoba CCF from 1952 to 1959, once wrote the following about Richards:
"Berry Richards' defection from the CCF was a matter of great regret to many people. He had made friends among the membership and the highly regarded as an organizer, particularly in the rural areas. He was clever, quick in debate, young and handsome, attractive to both men and women; if he had been able to adhere to CCF policy he undoubtedly would have become provincial leader. With his ruthless philosophy, acid tongue and uncompromising attitude, it is my firm opinion that Richards would have been a disaster as leader."
(Lloyd Stinson, Political Warriors, Winnipeg: Queenston House Publishing Inc., 1975, pp. 105–06.)
Richards returned to his profession as a mining engineer after leaving politics. In 1986, W.O. Kupsch and S.D. Hanson published a work entitled, "Gold and Other Stories as told to Berry Richards : Prospecting and Mining in Northern Saskatchewan".