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Dr Richard Lawson was born in Hayling Island, Hampshire, UK in 1946, qualified
in medicine (Westminster Hospital) in 1969, and travelled overland around the
world in 1971-2 (sadly without crossing the Equator - bit of an error there).
After
seven years of hospital psychiatry he transferred to general practice.He is a
member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and has been in general medical
practice in Congresbury, North Somerset since 1979, retiring to go part time in
Autumn 2006. Medical interests include social and preventive medicine, demand
management, psychotherapy (cutting ties and PTSD desensitisation), clinical ecology,
acupuncture, hypnosis and manipulation. Many letters have been pyublished in national
papers, and he has had occasional articles in the medical press, including the
BMJ. He has been a UK Green Party member since about 1975, holding various
national offices including Co-Speaker (one of two principal spokespersons for
the national party) in the 1992 General Election. He was elected to the then Woodspring
District Council in 1986, retiring after six years' service. Received nearly 25%
of the vote in the 1985(?) European election - one of the highest ever Green votes
in Europe, but was denied representation by the profoundly undemocratic UK electoral
system. Wrote Green
Politics in a Nutshell that sold out in green party circles. He held the post
of Health Speaker for the Green Party until 1999. He contributed an Overview
to the first International Journal of Green Economics. He is a strong protagonist
n the current debate in green circles about carbon offsetting, being very much
in favour of ecologically and socially sensitive planting policies. Married,
with three children, he enjoys gardening, cycling, and treework, and has in the
past indulged in roller hockey, windsurfing, sand yachting and scuba diving and
hangliding, but not all at the same time. He plays the flute, writes poems, short
stories and songs. He has a number of inventions, chiefly a double film,
flexible aerofoil sail which he has been developing steadily for a number of years.
It performs with great promise in high winds, and is ready for commercial adoption
by a sailmaker for to low wind speeds. He is at present involved with a promising
energy saving project. He is also the author of a web based medical symptom
assessment service (although this is currently out of action due to technical
difficulties with the wizard that drives it). He is a Quaker
and a member/supporter of Greenpeace,
Friends of the Earth, Campaign
Against the Arms Trade Sustrans,
Survival International, Charter
88, Intermediate Technology, Shelter,
Amnesty International, MEDACT,
Medical Foundation for Victims
of Torture, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament,
New Economics Foundation, Medical
and Scientific Network, Free Tibet Campaign
, British Scociety for Clinical
Ecology, United Nations Association and
was active in the Campaign Against Sea Dumping. (NB some
memberships may have lapsed due to the passage of time) At present, his
most important role is as founder of and contact for the Campaign
for an Index of Human Rights in the UN. He is currently (2006) joint International
Coordinator for the Green Party England and Wales.
Tel:
+44-(0)1934-835140
E-mail: rlawson@gn.apc.org
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