10 Facts About Julian Ridsdale

Sir Julian Errington Ridsdale was a British National Liberal and later Conservative politician and long-serving Member of Parliament for Harwich.

Julian Ridsdale is reported to have been a model for the character "Miss Moneypenny", secretary to James Bond.

Julian Ridsdale was her husband's secretary and chairman of the Conservative MPs' Wives, and was awarded the DBE in 1991.

At the 1951 snap general election, Julian Ridsdale stood as the Conservative Party candidate in the London seat of Paddington North, but lost to the sitting Labour MP William Field.

In 1954, the National Liberal MP for Harwich, Sir Stanley Holmes was elevated to the peerage as Baron Dovercourt, and Julian Ridsdale was selected as 'Conservative and Liberal' candidate to contest the consequent by-election.

Julian Ridsdale was elected on 11 February 1954, defeating Labour's Miss Shirley Catlin, and he served for nearly forty years, being re-elected at nine subsequent general elections: 1955,1959,1964,1966,1970, February 1974, October 1974,1979,1983 and 1987.

Julian Ridsdale stood down at the 1992 general election, and was succeeded by the Conservative Iain Sproat.

Julian Ridsdale was Chairman of the British Japanese Parliamentary Group from 1964 to 1992 and the leader of successive Parliamentary delegations to Japan.

Julian Ridsdale was Member of the North Atlantic Assembly from 1979 to 1992.

Julian Ridsdale received the CBE in 1977 and was knighted in 1981.