David Walder

{{infobox politician

|name = David Walder

|parliament = United Kingdom

|constituency_MP = Clitheroe

|term_start = 18 June 1970

|term_end = 26 October 1978

|predecessor = Francis Pearson

|successor = David Waddington

|constituency_MP2 = High Peak

|parliament2 = United Kingdom

|predecessor2 = Hugh Molson

|successor2 = Peter Jackson

|term_start2 = 16 March 1961

|term_end2 = 10 March 1966

|birth_name = Alan David Walder

|birth_date = {{birth date|1928|11|13|df=yes}}

|birth_place = London, England

|death_date = {{death date and age|1978|10|26|1928|11|13|df=yes}}

|death_place = London, England

|party = Conservative

|spouse = {{marriage|Elspeth Milligan|1956}}

|children = 4

|profession = {{hlist|Barrister|author}}

|alma_mater = Christ Church, Oxford

|branch = British Army

|rank = Major

|unit = {{ubl|Royal Artillery|4th Hussars}}

}}

Alan David Walder (13 November 1928 – 26 October 1978) was a British Conservative Party politician, author and barrister who was the Member of Parliament for High Peak from 1961 to 1966, and for Clitheroe from 1970 until his death.

Background

Born in St Pancras, London, Walder was educated at Latymer School and Christ Church, Oxford.{{cite book | last=Wilkinson | first=F.L. | title=The Territorial Air Force: The RAF's Voluntary Squadrons, 1926–1957 | publisher=Pen & Sword Books | year=2020 | isbn=978-1-5267-5105-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kALYEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT213 | access-date=2024-03-18 | page=213}} He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1948. In 1953 he transferred to the 4th Hussars (Army Emergency Reserve) and was promoted lieutenant. He was promoted captain in 1956, and later promoted Major.{{cite news|url = https://www.newspapers.com/image/858080902/|title = Tory MP dies after collapsing at dinner|date = 28 October 1978|newspaper = Birmingham Mail|page = 7|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = 13 March 2025|url-access = subscription}} He became a barrister, called to the bar by Inner Temple in 1956.{{cite news|title = Mr David Walder|newspaper = The Times|date = 28 October 1978|page = 14}}

Career

He unsuccessfully contested the Leicester South West constituency at the 1959 general election.

He was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for High Peak at a 1961 by-election, but lost the seat at the 1966 general election, to Labour's Peter Jackson.

He was returned to the House of Commons at the 1970 general election as MP for Clitheroe, which he held until his death. Walder was an assistant government whip from 1973 to 1974.

Walder coined "Walder's Law" which stated that the first three speakers at any meeting of the 1922 Committee were "Mad."{{cite book |title=Collapse of Stout Party: The Decline and Fall of the Tories |first1=Julian |last1=Critchley |first2=Morrison |last2=Halcrow |publisher=Victor Gollancz |date=1997 |edition=1st |isbn=0575062770}}

Walder's successor at the by-election following his death was David Waddington.

Walder was also a noted author and military historian. His works included humorous fiction relating primarily to his experiences in the army and politics, and comprised:

Bags of Swank (1963)
The Short List (1964)
The House Party (1966)
The Fair Ladies of Salamanca (1967)
The Chanak Affair (1969)
The Short Victorious War: Russo-Japanese Conflict 1904–5 (1973)
Nelson (1978).

Personal life and death

In 1956, Walder married Elspeth Milligan, and they had four children.

On 26 October 1978, Walder was dining at a London restaurant when he suffered an apparent heart attack; he died later that evening at St Stephen's Hospital, at the age of 49.