Ronnie Fearn, Baron Fearn

Ronald Cyril Fearn, Baron Fearn, (6 February 1931 – 24 January 2022) was a British politician who served in both the House of Commons (19871992, 19972001) and House of Lords (20012018). He was a member of the Liberal Democrats, formerly the Liberal Party. Fearn was born and died in Southport.

Early life Fearn was born in 1931 in Southport, the son of James (a master decorator) and Martha Ellen ( Hodge) Fearn. His birth was registered without his middle name in the Ormskirk registration district of Lancashire. Southport is now part of Merseyside.

Educated at King George V Grammar School, Southport, Fearn was a banker by profession, becoming a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers. He worked as a banker with Williams Deacons Bank, Williams & Glyn's Bank, and later the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Political career Fearn was the Liberal and later Liberal Democrat MP for Southport from 1987 to 1992 and 1997 to 2001, after unsuccessfully contesting the seat at the four 1970s general elections. He was the Lib. Dem. spokesman on health and tourism (1988–89), on local government (1989–90), and on transport, housing and tourism (1990–92). In Parliament, he was a member of the Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport from 1997 to 2001.

He received a life peerage and joined the House of Lords as Baron Fearn, of Southport in the County of Merseyside, in 2001. He retired from the House on 11 July 2018.

Honours In the 1985 Birthday Honours, Fearn was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

Personal life In 1955, Fearn married Joyce Edna Dugan; they had a son, Martin, and a daughter.