Ken Hargreaves

Who was Ken Hargreaves?

Joseph Kenneth "Ken" Hargreaves MBE, KSG was the Conservative Member of Parliament for the Hyndburn constituency in Lancashire between 1983 and 1992. A Chartered Secretary and company administrator by profession, he served as a local councillor and mayor before his election to Parliament.

In 1990 Hargreaves founded the Movement for Christian Democracy with Liberal Democrat MP David Alton and served as Vice-Chairman. After his defeat at the 1992 general election, he worked for Conservative Central Office as a liaison to local Conservative clubs. In the 2005 general election he supported the Conservative candidate James Mawdsley, a human rights campaigner.

On 29 December 2006 Hargreaves was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, for services to the community in Lancashire, in the Queen's New Years Honour's List.

In 2012, he was honoured with a Papal Knighthood of the Order of St Gregory the Great.

He died on 23 June 2012 at the East Lancashire Hospice in Blackburn.

A devout Roman Catholic, he was a parishioner of St Mary's RC Church in Oswaldtwistle.