Deryck Abel
Deryck R.E. Abel (September 1918–13 February 1965) was a British author and political activist.
Abel sutdied at Tottenham County School the London School of Economics and London University.[1] He fought in World War II, losing a leg.[2] After the war, Abel became active in the Liberal Party, standing unsuccessfully in St Albans at the 1950 UK general election[1] and Torquay in 1951.[3] He was also active in the Free Trade Union, edited and wrote for the Free Trader and authored a number of books.[1]
During the 1950s, Abel was a leading proponent of the construction of a Channel Tunnel, linking Britain with France.[4] From 1957 to 1959, he served as Chairman of the Liberal Party.[5] He also stood unsuccessfully in Worthing at the 1959 UK general election.[6]
In 1959, Abel resigned from the Free Trade Union and the Free Trader, following their takeover by supporters of Oliver Smedley.[5] He married Betty, a lecturer and member of the editorial staff of the Contemporary Review,[2] a publication of which he served as editor from 1960 to 1965.[7] He died around this time, his health never having recovered from his wartime experiences.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 'The Times Guide to the House of Commons (1951), p.102
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Richard Mullen, "Betty Abel, 1916-1996", Contemporary Review, April 1996
- ↑ 'The Times Guide to the House of Commons (1959), p.110
- ↑ Books Ca-Ch, Oakwood Press and Video Library
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 John Meadowcroft and Jaime Edwards, "Liberals and the New Right", Journal of Liberal History (2005)
- ↑ "Obituary: Mr Deryck Abel", The Guardian, 15 February 1965
- ↑ Magazine Data: Page 83
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Granville Slack |
Chairman of the Liberal Party 1957–1959 |
Succeeded by Leonard Behrens |