Constituency : Appleby 1905-10, Rushcliffe 1910-18, Camborne 1923-4, 1929-31
Leifchild won the by-election caused by Richard Rigg's suicidal decision to go over to the Conservatives. He won by 220 votes
Leifchild was the son of a Nonconformist clergyman from Wales. After his mother died, the family spent a few years in Australia so Leifchild was partly educated there. He later went to Oxford.. He became private secretary to the Countess of Carlisle, an ardent prohibitionist.
Leifchild was a supporter of female suffrage but he is best remembered as a leading and uncompromising temperance campaigner.He was president of the United Kingdom Alliance from 1906 to 1932. Many of his parliamentary contributions were on the subject.
Leifchild held on by only 8 votes in 1906 and was defeated in January 1910. He returned as MP for Rushcliffe in December.
Despite remaining loyal to Asquith, Leif urged Lloyd George to introduce prohibition during the war.
Leifchild was defeated by the Conservatives in 1918.
Leifchild contested Camborne in 1922 but was defeated by the National Liberal candidate Algenon Moreing. In 1923 he turned the tables as an Independent when Moreing was recognised as the official Liberal candidate. In 1924 Moreing won the seat back as a Constitutionalist, soon joining the Conservatives . In 1929 Leifchild ousted him again.
Leifchild was defeated by a different Conservative candidate in 1931.
In 1932 Leifchild was created Baron Rhyader.
He died in 1939 aged 77.
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