Deryck Abel

Who was Deryck Abel?

Deryck R.E. Abel was a British author and political activist.

Abel sutdied at Tottenham County School the London School of Economics and London University. He fought in World War II, losing a leg. After the war, Abel became active in the Liberal Party, standing unsuccessfully in St Albans at the 1950 UK general election and Torquay in 1951. He was also active in the Free Trade Union, edited and wrote for the Free Trader and authored a number of books.

During the 1950s, Abel was a leading proponent of the construction of a Channel Tunnel, linking Britain with France. From 1957 to 1959, he served as Chairman of the Liberal Party. He also stood unsuccessfully in Worthing at the 1959 UK general election.

In 1959, Abel resigned from the Free Trade Union and the Free Trader, following their takeover by supporters of Oliver Smedley. He married Betty, a lecturer and member of the editorial staff of the Contemporary Review, a publication of which he served as editor from 1960 to 1965. He died around this time, his health never having recovered from his wartime experiences.