Razzall attended St Paul's School, London, before going to Worcester College, Oxford, representing the university at cricket in 1964.

[2] Frere Cholmeley Bischoff encountered financial difficulties and dissolved shortly after his departure, for which some blame was attributed to Razzall.

During that time, he served as chair of Richmond Council's Policy and Resources Committee for 13 years and as deputy leader 1983–1996.

He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1993 New Year Honours[4] and created a life peer on 22 October 1997 as Baron Razzall, of Mortlake in the London Borough of Richmond.

He stepped down from this post in May 2006, saying he wanted a change and to give his successor a chance to settle into the role before the 2010 general election.