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Adding Category:Officers_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire using Cat-a-lot

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{{Short description|British politician}}
{{Unreliable sources|date=March 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2018}}
'''Edward Albert Lessing''' [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] (28 July 1890 – 25 August 1964) was a British corn trader, [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]] politician and an early authority on Soviet Russia.<ref>The Downfall of the Liberal Party by Trevor Wilson</ref>

==Background==
He was born in [[Mayfair]], [[London]] the son of Albert and Augusta Lessing. He was educated at Marlborough and [[University College, Oxford]]. In 1918 he was awarded the [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]].<ref>‘LESSING, Edward Albert’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U57507, accessed 6 Feb 2014]{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Professional career==
Lessing qualified as a Barrister, having received a [[Call to Bar]], by the [[Inner Temple]].<ref>‘LESSING, Edward Albert’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U57507, accessed 6 Feb 2014]{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He was Chairman of Strauss & Company Limited, grain merchants.<ref>The Times House of Commons 1929</ref> From 1945 to 1947 he worked as an Interpreter IO, Civil Servant. He was a Director of the Baltic and Mercantile Exchange. He was Vice-Chairman of the National Federation of Corn Trade Associations. He was Chairman of Alexandria Trading Corporation Limited. From 1960 until his death he was a Director of Contemporary Review.<ref>‘LESSING, Edward Albert’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U57507, accessed 6 Feb 2014]{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He was on the governing body of [[Abingdon School]] from 1923 to 1924.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abingdon.org.uk/uploads/school/files/abingdonian/1924_March_V006_N011.pdf#page=1|title=School Notes|publisher=The Abingdonian}}</ref>

==Military service==
During the [[First World War]] of 1914–1918, he served in Europe as a captain in the [[Grenadier Guards]]. He was a Member of the Military Mission to Russia. During the [[Second World War]] of 1939–1945 he served as a lieutenant in the Paymaster [[Royal Army Pay Corps]] from 1939 to 1942, and as a captain in the [[Royal Pioneer Corps|Pioneer Corps]] from 1942 to 1945.<ref>‘LESSING, Edward Albert’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U57507, accessed 6 Feb 2014]{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Political service==
In 1922, he stood as the Liberal candidate in the Unionist-held constituency of [[Abingdon (UK Parliament constituency)|Abingdon]], in [[Buckinghamshire]]. Here [[Unionist Party (UK)|Unionist Party]] candidates had been returned at every election since 1910. The last Liberal candidate to win here was [[Edward Strauss]] who was Lessing's uncle.<ref>The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History</ref> The Unionist was unopposed at the [[1918 United Kingdom general election|1918 general election]] and at the [[1921 Abingdon by-election]]. It therefore came as a bit of a surprise when Lessing lost by only 540 votes to the sitting [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) [[Arthur Loyd]];
{{Election box begin |
|title=[[1922 United Kingdom general election|General election 1922]]<ref>British parliamentary election results 1918–1949, Craig, F.W.S.</ref>
Electorate 26,541
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Unionist Party (UK)
|candidate = [[Arthur Thomas Loyd]]
|votes = 10,507
|percentage = 51.3
|change = n/a
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Liberal Party (UK)
|candidate = '''Edward Albert Lessing'''
|votes = 9,967
|percentage = 48.7
|change = n/a
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 540
|percentage = 2.6
|change = n/a
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes =
|percentage = 77.1
|change = n/a
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Unionist Party (UK)
|swing = n/a
}}
{{Election box end}}
At the [[1923 United Kingdom general election|1923 general election]] he won, with a majority of 254 votes over [[Ralph Glyn, 1st Baron Glyn|Ralph Glyn]], Lloyd's successor as Unionist candidate.
{{Election box begin |
|title=[[1923 United Kingdom general election|General election 1923]]<ref>British parliamentary election results 1918–1949, Craig, F.W.S.</ref>
Electorate 27,183
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Liberal Party (UK)
|candidate = '''Edward Albert Lessing'''
|votes = 10,932
|percentage = 50.6
|change = +1.9
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Unionist Party (UK)
|candidate = [[Ralph Glyn, 1st Baron Glyn|Ralph George Campbell Glyn]]
|votes = 10,678
|percentage = 49.4
|change = -1.9
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 254
|percentage = 1.2
|change = -1.4
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes =
|percentage = 79.5
|change = +2.4
}}
{{Election box gain with party link|
|winner = Liberal Party (UK)
|loser = Unionist Party (UK)
|swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}
In parliament, the Liberal Party relied on Lessing's expertise on Soviet Russia. In August 1924, when the Labour government tried to push through parliament a proposed loan to the Soviet Union, Lessing led Liberal party objections and the proposal was defeated. Lessing issued a pamphlet severely criticising the treaty.<ref>The Downfall of the Liberal Party by Trevor Wilson</ref> Lessing served as [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for less than a year, before another General election was called. This time, for the first time in Abingdon's history, a Labour candidate stood. This was a factor in Lessing losing his seat to Glyn at the [[1924 United Kingdom general election|1924 general election]];
{{Election box begin |
|title=[[1924 United Kingdom general election|General election 1924]]<ref>British parliamentary election results 1918–1949, Craig, F.W.S.</ref>
Electorate 28,082
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Unionist Party (UK)
|candidate = [[Ralph Glyn, 1st Baron Glyn|Ralph George Campbell Glyn]]
|votes = 13,117
|percentage = 56.4
|change = +7.0
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Liberal Party (UK)
|candidate = '''Edward Albert Lessing'''
|votes = 8,805
|percentage = 37.8
|change = -12.8
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Labour Party (UK)
|candidate = D F Brundril
|votes = 1,355
|percentage = 5.8
|change = n/a
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 4,312
|percentage = 18.6
|change = 19.8
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes =
|percentage = 82.9
|change = +3.4
}}
{{Election box gain with party link|
|winner = Unionist Party (UK)
|loser = Liberal Party (UK)
|swing = +9.9
}}
{{Election box end}}
He lost again at the [[1929 United Kingdom general election|1929 election]];
{{Election box begin |
|title=[[1929 United Kingdom general election|General election 1929]]<ref>British parliamentary election results 1918–1949, Craig, F.W.S.</ref>
Electorate 36,758
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Unionist Party (UK)
|candidate = [[Ralph Glyn, 1st Baron Glyn|Ralph George Campbell Glyn]]
|votes = 14,094
|percentage = 47.4
|change = -9.0
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Liberal Party (UK)
|candidate = '''Edward Albert Lessing'''
|votes = 11,896
|percentage = 40.1
|change = +2.3
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Labour Party (UK)
|candidate = A E Edgeworth Reade
|votes = 3,712
|percentage = 12.5
|change = +6.7
}}
{{Election box majority|
|votes = 2,198
|percentage = 7.3
|change = -11.3
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes =
|percentage = 80.8
|change = -2.1
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Unionist Party (UK)
|swing = -5.7
}}
{{Election box end}}
He did not stand for [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] again.

==Publications==
*Soviet Treaties: An Examination of the General Treaty and the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation. Signed on 8 August 1924

He died in [[Kensington]] aged 73.

== External links ==
* {{Hansard-contribs | mr-edward-lessing | Edward Lessing }}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{succession box
| title = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Abingdon (UK Parliament constituency)|Abingdon]]
| years = [[1923 United Kingdom general election|1923]]–[[1924 United Kingdom general election|1924]]
| before = [[Arthur Loyd]]
| after = [[Ralph Glyn, 1st Baron Glyn|Ralph Glyn]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lessing, Edward}}
[[Category:1890 births]]
[[Category:1964 deaths]]
[[Category:Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1923–1924]]
[[Category:Governors of Abingdon School]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Grenadier Guards officers]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Royal Army Pay Corps officers]]
[[Category:Royal Pioneer Corps officers]]
[[Category:Officers_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire]]

Edward Lessing - Revision history

imported>Julipero: Adding Category:Officers_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire using Cat-a-lot