David Rendel

David Rendel
David Rendel at the Newbury declaration for the 2005 election
Member of Parliament for Newbury
In office 6 May 1993 – 5 May 2005
Preceded by	Judith Chaplin
Succeeded by	Richard Benyon
Personal details
Born	(1949-04-15) 15 April 1949
Nationality	British
Political party	Liberal Democrats
Alma mater	Magdalen College, Oxford, St Cross College, Oxford

David Digby Rendel (born 15 April 1949) is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Newbury from 1993 to 2005. He won the seat at by-election in May 1993 caused by the death of Judith Chaplin, and held it until his defeat at the 2005 general election to Conservative candidate Richard Benyon. At the time he lost his seat he was the Liberal Democrats' spokesperson on Higher and Further Education.

Early life

Educated at Eton College, Magdalen College, Oxford and St Cross College, Oxford, Rendel was a member of the winning University of Oxford boat race crew of 1974.

He is a great-grandson of civil engineer Sir Alexander Meadows Rendel, and a great-great-nephew of Liberal MP Stuart Rendel.

Political career

Rendel was a Newbury District Councillor from 1987 to 1995. He won the by-election in 1993 with a massive majority of 22,055. Unlike some other Conservative by-election losses during the same parliament, tactical voting by Labour voters can have played little role in the result, as the Labour candidate at the preceding 1992 general election had secured only 6% of the vote. The drop in the Labour vote accounted for only a small fraction of Rendel's margin of victory in the by-election.

He stood in the 1999 election for the leadership of the Liberal Democrats, but came fifth, losing to Charles Kennedy.

Rendel is a directly elected member of the Liberal Democrats Federal Executive committee.

During May 2006, Rendel was selected by local party members as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Newbury seat for the next election. At the general election in May 2010 was defeated by the sitting Conservative MP, Richard Benyon, whose majority was 20.9%.

After the election, Rendel was the only member on the Liberal Democrats Federal Executive to vote against the recommendation that the party form a coalition government with the Conservative Party.

External links

• David Rendel official site
• David Rendel profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
• Guardian Politics Ask Aristotle - David Rendel
• TheyWorkForYou.com - David Rendel
• The Public Whip - David Rendel voting record
• BBC News - David Rendel profile 10 February 2005

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Judith Chaplin	Member of Parliament for Newbury 1993–2005	Succeeded by Richard Benyon