Charles Richard Morris (14 December 1926 – 8 January 2012) was a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Manchester Openshaw from 1963 to 1983. A member of the Labour Party, he served as a Minister of State from 1974 to 1979 and a Government Whip from 1966 to 1970. Early life and career Charles Richard Morris was born in Ancoats, Manchester on 14 December 1926 to George Morris and Jessie Murphy. His father, who was significantly disabled as result of his World War I injuries, worked as a sign writer; He died at 44, when Charles was nine years-old. Morris lived in poverty alongside seven other siblings, all of whom faced a workhouse when their home was marked for slum clearance in 1935. Too poor to secure a council house, a local cleric helped them move to a nearby housing project in Newton Heath. Morris was educated at Brookdale Park School, Manchester. He served with the Royal Engineers in the British Army from 1945 to 1948 before joining the Post Office. Morris was member of the National Executive Council of the Union of Post Office Workers from 1959 to 1963. He joined the Labour Party in 1943 and served on Manchester City Council from 1954 to 1964. Parliamentary career Morris first stood for Parliament at the 1959 general election in Cheadle without success. He was elected to represent Manchester Openshaw in Parliament at a by-election in December 1963, caused following the death of incumbent MP William Williams. He was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Tony Benn, then Postmaster General, after Labour's victory at the 1964 general election. He became an Assistant Whip in 1966 and was promoted to Vice-Chamberlain of the Household the following year. Morris served as Deputy Chief Whip and Treasurer of the Household from 1969 until Labour's election defeat in 1970. Morris was PPS to Harold Wilson during his tenure as Leader of the Opposition from 1970 to 1974. He briefly served as Urban Affairs Minister in the Environment Department after Labour returned to government in 1974, and as Minister for the Civil Service Department from 1974 to 1979. Morris was appointed to the Privy Council in 1977. His final front bench role was as Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons from 1979 to 1983. He retired from Parliament after his constituency was abolished at the 1983 general election, as