The Residential Landlords Association’s communications and policy manager Richard Ashton has died of cancer aged 40.
Ashton was particularly known for his work analysing responses to proposals by local authorities to license landlords.
The RLA obituary says:
“Joining as communications officer with responsibility for telling members and other landlords of its extensive work and achievements, Richard was soon appointed to the new role of RLA policy and communications manager.
He was quickly able to assimilate complex legal and political documents and lead many of the responses against councils’ proposals for selective licensing which seemed to dominate his last two years.
He enjoyed developing campaign communications and handling the progress of individual campaigns - in particular he developed the RLA News Hub as a daily source of information for thousands of landlords.
Richard organised RLA's events at two party conference seasons where he was so much at ease with the Tories, yet delighted in the novel experience of being a mole at Labour's Brighton conference last September.
After a career in local politics - he was press, PR and research manager to the Conservative opposition leader of Tameside Council - he knew his way around especially of the Conservative party, where he had also been active on the political officers network.
Richard also contributed to wider society and was a community governor of Stalyhill Junior School and a held the rank of sergeant as a special constable with Greater Manchester Police (1994-99).
Following his previous experience with thyroid cancer, he was a member of the Christie Hospital Foundation Trust which included fundraising and work with junior doctors and medical students, educating them on the patient experience.
Richard's wife Charlotte is expecting their second child in June and he leaves their daughter Romy, and his two sons Connor and Charlie.”
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