to the Friends of Ireland group, of which he was treasurer. He was appointed Lord Privy Seal and the new position of Minister of Materials in April 1951, succeeding Ernest Bevin but served only a few months before Labour lost the 1951 general election. He aimed to show that the proposed armaments programme could be carried out, contrary to Aneurin Bevan and Harold Wilson (who had resigned over this and other issues). Stokes died at home on 3 August 1957 in London of a heart attack, according to his death notice. A few days before, on 23 July, he had been in a road accident when his car overturned during a thunderstorm on the flooded London road at Stanway near Colchester. References External links Profile 1897 births 1957 deaths People educated at Downside School Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich Stokes Richard Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Ipswich Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom British Secretaries of State Lords Privy Seal UK MPs 1935–1945 UK MPs 1945–1950 UK MPs 1950–1951 UK MPs 1951–1955 UK MPs 1955–1959 British Army personnel of World War I Royal Artillery officers Honorary Members of the Royal Academy of Music Recipients of the Military Cross Ministers in the Attlee governments, 1945–1951