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John Cartwright (UK politician)

John Cartwright
President of the Social Democratic Party
In office
29 August 1987 – 16 July 1988
Leader Robert Maclennan
Preceded by Shirley Williams
Succeeded by Ian Wrigglesworth (as Liberal Democrats President)
Chief Whip, Social Democrat Party
In office
9 June 1983 – 16 July 1988
Leader David Owen
Preceded by John Roper
Succeeded by Jim Wallace (as Liberal Democrats Chief Whip)
Member of Parliament
for Woolwich
Woolwich East (Oct 1974–1983)
In office
10 October 1974 – 9 April 1992
Preceded by Christopher Mayhew
Succeeded by John Austin
Personal details
Born (1935-10-09) 9 October 1935 (age 81)
Political party Labour Party (1970-81); Social Democratic Party (1981-88); 'continuing' Social Democratic Party (1988-90)

John Cameron Cartwright (born 29 November 1933) is a former politician in the United Kingdom. He was a Labour and then an SDP Member of Parliament (MP) representing Woolwich East then Woolwich from the October 1974 general election to the 1992 election.

Educated at Woking County Grammar School, he was the star of the school's Dramatic Society for which he played numerous Shakespearean and Goldsmithian ladies. One such production was seen by the Norwegian ambassador, who was so impressed that he invited the whole production to perform in Oslo and Bergen.

Cartwright worked as Political Secretary of the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society (R.A.C.S.) and served as a Greenwich borough councillor before standing for Parliament. He unsuccessfully contested Bexley at the 1970 general election (when he lost to Edward Heath) and Bexleyheath at the February 1974 election (which he lost to Cyril Townsend). At the October 1974 election Cartwright was elected as the Labour member for Woolwich East, replacing Christopher Mayhew who had left Labour to join the Liberal Party. Following six years as a backbench Member of Parliament and latterly Parliamentary Private Secretary to Shirley Williams, Cartwright himself left the Labour Party in 1981 to become one of the founding members of the SDP.


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