299:, Matthews had a tough time defending his seat given his narrow majority and the national trend to Labour. However, his record of diligent constituency work and the increased local prosperity (the car manufacturers were significant local employers) helped him. In one of the last results to be announced on the day of the election, Matthews lost to the Labour candidate – but only by 363 votes, a much better result for him than national trends would have seen.
287:; in March 1961, he initiated a debate on housing for the elderly, and called for private housebuilders to build more suitable homes. In December 1962 he called for reform of the rating system so that the burden fell more evenly. He opposed the government's move to abolish resale price maintenance in 1964, but abstained rather than vote against.
227:. He spent a great deal of time in the late 1940s reviving the Young Unionist association in Birmingham, under his own chairmanship. From 1948 to 1953 Matthews served as Hon. Secretary of the Birmingham Unionist Association, and at the
263:. This was a Labour-held marginal constituency which included prosperous and working-class areas, but Matthews took advantage of the national trend to the Conservatives to overturn a majority of over 1,000 to win by 263 votes.
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but did not go to university. Instead he trained as a chartered accountant, qualifying in 1932. His grandfather, William
Matthews, had joined with John Rackham to set up Rackhams and Matthews department store in Bull Street,
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Birmingham Area from 1965 to 1972. Although giving up
Parliamentary ambitions, he remained involved in the Conservative Party and served as Deputy Chairman, then Chairman of the West Midlands Conservative Council.
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Matthews found he had more time for his voluntary activities and served on the
National Council and National Executive Committee of the YMCA from 1968 to 1971. He was also Chairman of the Finance Committee of the
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235:. In the 1950s, Matthews was a member of the Board of Management of the Linen and Woollen Drapers Institution and acted as President of its Appeal for the year 1954–1955. He also get involved in the
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He proved a generally loyal
Conservative backbencher, although he at first abstained on, and then supported, a new clause in the Finance Bill moved by
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and was
Chairman of the Finance Committee for the Birmingham Area. From 1957 to 1964, he was President of the City of Birmingham Friendly Society.
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in the late 1970s and served one last term as
President of the West Midlands Conservatives from 1983 to 1985. He died after a fall in 2000.
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In 1934 Matthews married Ruth Brooks, the daughter of the former Lord Mayor of
Birmingham Sir David Brooks. He also became involved in the
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from
Schedule A income tax to which the government was opposed. In December 1960 he was appointed
175:, Director of a department store, and politician. Despite a near half-century involvement in the
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At the end of the war, Matthews fought the
Deritend division of Birmingham in the
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in the West
Midlands, he served only a single term in Parliament.
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Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
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171:(16 December 1908 – 4 February 2000) was a British
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208:, and in 1937 was appointed as Hon. Treasurer of
366:contributions in Parliament by Gordon Matthews
212:Unionist Association. At the outbreak of the
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63:8 October 1959 – 25 September 1964
454:Politicians from Birmingham, West Midlands
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326:Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)
316:Later in the 1970s, Matthews retired to
255:general elections, but was adopted for
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247:Matthews did not find a seat at the
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444:People educated at Repton School
375:Parliament of the United Kingdom
281:Parliamentary Private Secretary
337:"Who Was Who", A & C Black
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231:he was the candidate in
157:Gordon Richards Matthews
22:Gordon Richards Matthews
243:Parliamentary candidate
303:Post-Parliament career
297:1964 general election
261:1959 general election
229:1950 general election
225:1945 general election
391:Member of Parliament
173:chartered accountant
46:Member of Parliament
411:Christopher Rowland
86:Christopher Rowland
344:, 11 February 2000
233:Birmingham Yardley
206:Conservative Party
200:Conservative links
187:Matthews attended
177:Conservative Party
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408:Succeeded by
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81:Succeeded by
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434:2000 deaths
429:1908 births
364:1803–2005:
267:Backbencher
183:Accountancy
131:Nationality
69:Preceded by
423:Categories
332:References
218:Royal Navy
194:Birmingham
107:1908-12-16
348:The Times
59:In office
259:for the
210:Deritend
74:Reg Moss
395:Meriden
361:Hansard
295:At the
257:Meriden
135:British
51:Meriden
291:Defeat
404:1964
400:1959
393:for
310:YWCA
253:1955
249:1951
237:YMCA
169:FRSA
119:Died
101:Born
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320:in
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165:FCA
161:CBE
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