Last night, Ralph’s brother left a comment on our piece about former Glee Club pianist Liz Rorison’s death to say that her old friend and Glee Club host from the 90s had passed away on Saturday night.
Before we published this sad news, I wanted to make sure that his friends and colleagues in the party were all aware. Current Glee Club host Gareth Epps has written a tribute to him over on Liberator’s blog.
Based in Harrow for many years, Ralph was a Young Liberal and went to Sussex University before being employed in Parliament, in the heady days of there being 14 Liberal MPs. He rose to work in the Whips’ Office during the 1977-8 Lib-Lab Pact. He subsequently used his considerable political acumen to advise Liberals and Liberal Democrats in council administrations, and was particularly proud to become Head of Office of Andrew Wiseman’s administration in Harrow in the 1990s. Ralph was also a champion on online engagement and of the cix online conferencing system that was an integral part of party activity at that time
Together with his good friend the late Liz Rorison, Ralph and his ever-present pipe were also for many years the linchpin of the Glee Club as it transformed from an informal gathering around a hotel piano to the unique event it is today. He also appeared in many memorable sketches at the Liberal Revue.
Follow @libdemvoice.org on Bluesky
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
The Joy of Six 1563
Dr Who or Terminator
Cystatin-C some thoughts and some references
Could water companies put up prices to pay for drought?
Tim Leunig 
Jason Connor 
cim 
Jana 