Ken Hargreaves


Joseph Kenneth Hargreaves, MBE, KSG was the Conservative Member of Parliament, for Hyndburn, Lancashire, between 1983 and 1992, when he lost his seat to Greg Pope from Labour. A chartered secretary and company administrator by profession, he served as a local councillor, and mayor, before his election to Parliament.
In November 1990, Hargreaves founded the Movement for Christian Democracy, now known as Christian Peoples Alliance, with Liberal Democrat MP David Alton, and served as Vice Chairman. After his defeat at the general election of 1992, he worked for Conservative Central Office, as a liaison to local Conservative clubs.
In May 2005, in the month's general election, he supported the unsuccessful candidate for the Conservatives, James Mawdsley, a human rights campaigner. On 29 December 2006, Hargreaves was made a , for services to the community in Lancashire, in Queen Elizabeth II's New Year Honours.
In June 2012, before his death, 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.

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