Richard Drax
Encyclopedia
Richard Grosvenor Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax (born 29 January 1958), known as Richard Drax, is a former Army officer and journalist, now Conservative Party
politician and Member of Parliament
(MP) for South Dorset.
In the general election in May 2010, he defeated the sitting Labour
MP and Government minister Jim, now Lord Knight
.
, an independent school
in Middlesex
, and RMA Sandhurst.
South, appearing on both radio and television media in the region, including the daily television news programme South Today
.
Pamela Weeks and a grandson of Admiral The Hon Sir Reginald Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax KCB DSO
JP
DL
, younger son of the 17th Baron of Dunsany
, and he is also the grandson of Lieutenant-General The Lord Weeks
KCB
CBE
DSO
MC
TD
.
His first wife was Zara, younger sister of the royal nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke now Pettifer
. Drax has married twice more and has four children.
At least six of his ancestors, including John Erle-Drax and John Plunkett, 17th Baron of Dunsany, were Members of Parliament in Dorset and Gloucestershire between the 1680s and 1880s. His home is the family seat, Charborough House
, Dorset
.
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for South Dorset.
In the general election in May 2010, he defeated the sitting Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP and Government minister Jim, now Lord Knight
Jim Knight
James Philip Knight, Baron Knight of Weymouth is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for South Dorset from 2001 until 2010, when he lost his seat. Knight held several ministerial posts during his time as an MP including Minister for the South West and Minister for...
.
Education
Richard Drax was educated at Harrow SchoolHarrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
, an independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
in Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, and RMA Sandhurst.
Life and career
Until his selection by the Conservative Party in July 2006, Drax was a reporter for the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
South, appearing on both radio and television media in the region, including the daily television news programme South Today
South Today
South Today is the BBC's regional television news programme for East Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, West Sussex and the western fringes of Surrey...
.
Family
Drax is the son of Walter Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax and The HonThe Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
Pamela Weeks and a grandson of Admiral The Hon Sir Reginald Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax KCB DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
, younger son of the 17th Baron of Dunsany
John William Plunkett, 17th Baron of Dunsany
John William Plunkett, 17th Baron of Dunsany , whose seat was Dunsany Castle, County Meath, Ireland, was the second son of Edward Plunkett, 16th Baron of Dunsany , and Lady Anne Constance Dutton .John William Plunkett received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Trinity College, Dublin...
, and he is also the grandson of Lieutenant-General The Lord Weeks
Ronald Weeks, 1st Baron Weeks
Lieutenant-General Ronald Morce Weeks, 1st Baron Weeks KCB, CBE, DSO, MC, TD was a British Army General during the Second World War.-Military career:...
KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
TD
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
.
His first wife was Zara, younger sister of the royal nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke now Pettifer
Tiggy Legge-Bourke
Alexandra Shân "Tiggy" Legge-Bourke MVO was nanny, later companion, to Prince William of Wales and his brother Prince Harry, and a personal assistant to Charles, Prince of Wales, between 1993 and 1999...
. Drax has married twice more and has four children.
At least six of his ancestors, including John Erle-Drax and John Plunkett, 17th Baron of Dunsany, were Members of Parliament in Dorset and Gloucestershire between the 1680s and 1880s. His home is the family seat, Charborough House
Charborough House
Charborough House is located between Sturminster Marshall and Bere Regis in Dorset, England. The Deer Park and estate adjoins the villages of Winterborne Zelston, Newton Peveril and Lytchett Matravers...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
.