Douglas Young (judge)


Sir John Douglas Young, was a British judge and Liberal Party politician.

Background

Young was born in Helensburgh, Argyllshire. He was educated at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh and Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he received a BA. In 1912 he married Joyce Macewen Smith of Glasgow. They had two sons. He was knighted in 1935.

Political career

He was Liberal candidate for the Hendon division of Middlesex at the 1922 General Election.
He was Liberal candidate for the Southend division of Essex at the 1923 and 1924 General Elections. Southend was a safe Unionist seat which Young nearly gained in 1923;
In 1924, a difficult election for the Liberal party, Southend returned to being a safe Unionist seat;
He did not contest the Southend by-election in 1927 and instead was Liberal candidate for the 1928 Linlithgowshire by-election. This was a Labour/Unionist marginal that no Liberal had fought in 1924. The party had finished a distant third in 1923, so the seat was not promising. He came third as expected but did poll the highest Liberal vote since 1910;
He did not stand for parliament again.