Richard is married to Samantha and has two children, Mathew aged 9 and Annabelle aged 7.
Richard was born the middle brother of three to a working class family in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. His father, Peter, was a production manager in the chemicals industry and his mother, Christine, a housewife in his early years but who went on later to a successful career in the education of disabled children. Now, his older brother Stephen is Chief Financial Officer of a large US organization and his younger brother, Robert, a political advisor to a shadow cabinet Minister.
His early years at school saw him walking in the shadow of his much more academic older brother. A common taunt by teachers was 'you're not a bit like your Stephen are you' to which Richard would reply, 'is he anything like me'. Always a keen sportsman, Richard was captain of the school rugby team and swam for his town at regional level. In the dated educational system of banding, Richard managed to squeeze through to the 'A' stream at the local Catholic High School, All Saints. Saturdays were spent working