Reginald Logan Rait
Reginald Logan Rait (January 1902 – 1975), was a British Pattenmaker and Liberal Party politician. He was notable for being the youngest candidate to stand at the 1923 UK General Election.
Background
He was born in Kingston, Surrey[1] to George Logan Rait and Alice Heleanor Rait.[2] He was educated at Charterhouse School, Godalming and University College, Oxford. He lived in Surbiton Hill, Surrey.[3]
Political career
In 1922 Rait was an Oxford delegate on Hungarian self-determination at Budapest. He was Liberal candidate for the Isle of Thanet division of Kent at the 1923 General Election. He was aged 21, the youngest candidate in the country.[4] The constituency had returned a Unionist candidate at every election since it was created in 1885. Rait came to within 48 votes of taking the seat and recorded the highest percentage poll for a Liberal candidate in the constituency;
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unionist | Esmond Cecil Harmsworth | 13,821 | 50.1 | -11.1 | |
| Liberal | Reginald Logan Rait | 13,773 | 49.9 | +11.1 | |
| Majority | 48 | 0.2 | -22.2 | ||
| Turnout | 69.5 | +1.1 | |||
| Unionist hold | Swing | -11.1 | |||
After the election in February 1924 he was re-adopted as prospective Liberal candidate for the Isle of Thanet.[6] However, he did not contest the seat at the following general election in October 1924. He did not stand for parliament again.[7]
Professional career
He was a Pattenmaker. In 1958 he was Master of the livery of the Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers.[8]
He died in London, in 1975 at the age of 73.[9]
References
- ancestry.co.uk
- http://www.myheritage.com
- The Liberal Yearbook - 1926
- The Illustrated London News 1 Dec 1923
- British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949, FWS Craig
- Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, Kent, 23 February 1924
- British parliamentary election results 1918-1983, Craig, F.W.S.
- http://www.pattenmakers.co.uk
- ancestry.co.uk