[1] He was educated at Shrewsbury School[2] He then won an open scholarship to Clare College, Cambridge[1] (BA History, 1938).

During World War II, he registered as a conscientious objector and joined the Friends' Ambulance Unit, a Quaker organisation, serving in Normandy in 1944, and Antwerp the Netherlands and Germany in 1944–46.

Wainwright stood as the Liberal Party candidate for the constituency of Pudsey in the general election of 1950 and again in 1955, but was unsuccessful on both occasions.

After 1987, although retired as an MP, Wainwright continued to be politically active, working for the Electoral Reform Society, as well as being a founding member of the executive committee of Charter 88.

Further roles included Treasurer of the Leeds Invalid Children's Aid Society and the Bethany House Free Church Probation Home.

[1] The former offices of Greg Mulholland, who was Liberal Democrat MP for Leeds North West from 2005 to 2017, were named 'Richard Wainwright House' in his honour.