| Honorific-Prefix: | The Right Honourable |
| The Lord Ryder of Wensum | |
| Honorific-Suffix: | OBE PC |
| Office: | Chief Whip of the House of Commons Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury |
| Primeminister: | John Major |
| Term Start: | 28 November 1990 |
| Term End: | 20 July 1995 |
| Predecessor: | Tim Renton |
| Successor: | Alastair Goodlad |
| Office2: | Paymaster General |
| Primeminister2: | Margaret Thatcher |
| Term Start2: | 14 July 1990 |
| Term End2: | 28 November 1990 |
| Predecessor2: | The Earl of Caithness |
| Successor2: | The Lord Belstead |
| Office3: | Economic Secretary to the Treasury |
| Primeminister3: | Margaret Thatcher |
| Term Start3: | 24 July 1989 |
| Term End3: | 14 July 1990 |
| Predecessor3: | Peter Lilley |
| Successor3: | John Maples |
| Office4: | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food |
| Primeminister4: | Margaret Thatcher |
| Term Start4: | 25 July 1988 |
| Term End4: | 24 July 1989 |
| Predecessor4: | Donald Thompson |
| Successor4: | David Curry |
| Office5: | Assistant Government Whip |
| Term Start5: | 16 October 1986 |
| Term End5: | 24 July 1988 |
| Primeminister5: | Margaret Thatcher |
| Office6: | Member of Parliament for Mid Norfolk |
| Term Start6: | 9 June 1983 |
| Term End6: | 8 April 1997 |
| Predecessor6: | Constituency Created |
| Successor6: | Keith Simpson |
| Office7: | Political Secretary to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom |
| Primeminister7: | Margaret Thatcher |
| Term Start7: | 1979 |
| Term End7: | 1981 |
| Predecessor7: | Tom McNally |
| Successor7: | Derek Howe |
| Birth Date: | 4 February 1949 |
| Party: | Conservative |
| Alma Mater: | Magdalene College, Cambridge |
Richard Andrew Ryder, Baron Ryder of Wensum, (born 4 February 1949) is a British Conservative Party politician. A former Member of Parliament (MP) and government minister, he was made a life peer in 1997 and was a member of the House of Lords from 1997 to 2021.
He was educated at Radley College and Magdalene College, Cambridge.
In the 1981 Birthday Honours Ryder was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), for political service.
Having unsuccessfully fought the Labour seat of Gateshead East in February and October 1974, Ryder was elected at the 1983 general election as MP for the Mid Norfolk constituency. From 1990 to 1995 he was the government's Chief Whip. This period includes the Conservative backbench rebellion over the Maastricht Treaty. The maverick MPs, known as the Maastricht Rebels, were under intense pressure from the government whips but still brought the administration of John Major close to collapse.
Ryder retired from the House of Commons at the 1997 general election, and was created a life peer as Baron Ryder of Wensum, of Wensum in the County of Norfolk on 22 November 1997. He will retire from the Lords on 12 April 2021.
He became Vice-Chairman of the BBC on 1 January 2002 for a four-year term.
Ryder was appointed Acting Chairman of the BBC following the resignation of Gavyn Davies on 28 January 2004. Davies resigned following the criticism of the BBC in the Hutton Report, which was set up to investigate "the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr David Kelly". One of Ryder's first acts as chairman was to give a televised statement, during which he offered an unreserved apology for the mistakes made during the Dr. Kelly affair. This apology was criticised by many, including departing Director General, Greg Dyke, as overdone. In the same statement Ryder announced that the process to select a new Chairman had begun, and that he would not be putting his name forward. Michael Grade was appointed on 2 April 2004 and took up his post on 17 May; Ryder resumed the post of Vice-Chairman.
Ryder resigned early on 1 August 2004, after which the position was assumed by Anthony Salz.
Ryder is the Chairman of the Institute of Cancer Research, and is a director of Ipswich Town F.C.
He is a nephew of the late Sue Ryder, the Baroness Ryder of Warsaw.
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