Ted Leadbitter
Edward Leadbitter was a British Labour politician. Leadbitter was a teacher, and served as a councillor on West Hartlepool Borough Council. Leadbitter was Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from February 1964, until he retired in March 1992. His successor was Peter Mandelson. Leadbitter was known for his argument against the 1991 judgment of the Court of Appeal and House of Lords in R v R that criminalised marital rape for the first time. He claimed that married women would now falsely allege rape if a couple had a row.
Shortly before he quit Parliament, he angered Neil Kinnock by buying shares in British Telecom and British Gas.
He died on 23 December 1996, in the intensive care unit at North Tees Hospital, where he was being treated after a road accident.
