Elystan Morgan
Encyclopedia
Dafydd Elystan Elystan-Morgan, Baron Elystan-Morgan (born 7 December 1932), known as Elystan Morgan, is a Welsh
politician.
Morgan was educated at Ardwyn Grammar School
, Aberystwyth
and the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth
. He became a solicitor.
Originally a Plaid Cymru
candidate, Morgan contested Wrexham
three times, at the by-election in 1955, and at the general elections in 1955 and in 1959, and contested Merioneth
at the general election in 1964.
Morgan joined the Labour Party
and was elected Member of Parliament
for Cardiganshire, Wales
at the 1966 general election
, and served as a junior minister from 1968 to 1970, as Under-Secretary at the Home Office
He was chairman of the Welsh Parliamentary Labour Party between 1971 and 1974. In the February 1974 general election
, Morgan lost his seat to the Liberal
, Geraint Howells
.
In 1959, Morgan married Alwen Roberts, daughter of William E. Roberts.
He was admitted to Gray's Inn in 1971 entitled to practice as a barrister. He was created Baron Elystan-Morgan, of Aberteifi in the County of Dyfed [U.K. Life Peer] on 27 May 1981. He held the office of Recorder between 1983 and 1987. He held the office of Circuit Judge between 1987 and 2003.
On 6 March 2007, Morgan supported the abolition of the blasphemy
laws of the UK, quoting Professor Dawkins' description of God as "a petty, unjust, unforgiving control freak
; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully". A deacon
in the Presbyterian Church of Wales
, he was making the point that God did not need the protection of the law.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
politician.
Morgan was educated at Ardwyn Grammar School
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
, Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
and the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth
University of Wales, Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth University is a university located in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding Member Institution of the former federal University of Wales. As of late 2006, the university had over 12,000 students spread across seventeen academic departments.The university was founded in 1872 as...
. He became a solicitor.
Originally a Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
candidate, Morgan contested Wrexham
Wrexham (UK Parliament constituency)
Wrexham is a parliamentary constituency in North Wales which is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
three times, at the by-election in 1955, and at the general elections in 1955 and in 1959, and contested Merioneth
Merioneth (UK Parliament constituency)
Merioneth, sometimes called Merionethshire, was a constituency in North Wales established in 1542, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the English Parliament, and later to the Parliament of Great Britain and of the United Kingdom...
at the general election in 1964.
Morgan joined the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
and was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Cardiganshire, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
at the 1966 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1966
The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs...
, and served as a junior minister from 1968 to 1970, as Under-Secretary at the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
He was chairman of the Welsh Parliamentary Labour Party between 1971 and 1974. In the February 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
, Morgan lost his seat to the Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, Geraint Howells
Geraint Howells
Geraint Wyn Howells, Baron Geraint was a leading Welsh Liberal Democrat politician.Howells was born in Ponterwyd in Cardiganshire. He was the son of David John and Mary Blodwen Howells, both farmers.-Education:...
.
In 1959, Morgan married Alwen Roberts, daughter of William E. Roberts.
He was admitted to Gray's Inn in 1971 entitled to practice as a barrister. He was created Baron Elystan-Morgan, of Aberteifi in the County of Dyfed [U.K. Life Peer] on 27 May 1981. He held the office of Recorder between 1983 and 1987. He held the office of Circuit Judge between 1987 and 2003.
On 6 March 2007, Morgan supported the abolition of the blasphemy
Blasphemy
Blasphemy is irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws to give recourse to those who are offended by blasphemy...
laws of the UK, quoting Professor Dawkins' description of God as "a petty, unjust, unforgiving control freak
Control freak
In psychology-related slang, control freak is a derogatory term for a person who attempts to dictate how everything around them is done — "a control freak. Scared to let us have differences"...
; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully". A deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in the Presbyterian Church of Wales
Presbyterian Church of Wales
The Presbyterian Church of Wales , also known as The Calvinistic Methodist Church , is a denomination of Protestant Christianity. It was born out of the Welsh Methodist revival and the preaching of Hywel Harris Howell Harris in the 18th century and seceded from the Church of England in 1811...
, he was making the point that God did not need the protection of the law.