Peter Thomas
Encyclopedia
Peter John Mitchell Thomas, Baron Thomas of Gwydir, PC
, QC
(31 July 1920 – 4 February 2008) was a Welsh
Conservative
politician. He was the first Welshman to become Chairman of the Conservative Party
, serving from 1970 to 1972, and the first Conservative politician to serve as Secretary of State for Wales
, holding that office from 1970 to 1974.
, where his father was a solicitor
. He was educated at the village school, and then Epworth College in Rhyl
, before reading law at Jesus College, Oxford
. He joined the Royal Air Force
(RAF) in 1939, on the outbreak of the Second World War
. He was shot down while serving as a bomber pilot in 1941, and spent four years in prisoner-of-war camps in Germany
, moving from Stalag Luft VI
to Stalag Luft III
and then at Stalag XI-B
. He continued his legal studies while imprisoned, and was also an amateur actor.
He became a barrister
after the war, and was called to the Bar in 1947 at Middle Temple
. He practised on the Wales and Chester circuit, and took silk as Queen's Counsel
in 1965. He became deputy chairman of Cheshire quarter sessions
in 1966, and then of Denbighshire quarter sessions in 1968, serving in both offices until 1970. He was a Crown Court
recorder
from 1974 to 1988, and also sat as an arbitrator on the Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce
in Paris.
He was bilingual in Welsh and English, and took an active part in the Gorsedd
, attending Eisteddfodau under the bard
ic name Pedr Conwy (Welsh: Peter from Conway).
He married Tessa Dean in 1947. She was the daughter of actor and film and theatrical producer Basil Dean
and his wife, Lady Mercy Greville. His wife died in 1985, and he outlived both of their two sons. He was survived by his two daughters upon his death in February 2008 at the age of 87.
as MP for Conway
in 1951, winning a narrow majority in the marginal seat over the Labour incumbent. He turned down the position of Under-Secretary of State for Wales at the Home Office
to concentrate on his legal career, but later served as Parliamentary private secretary
to Sir Harry Hylton-Foster
(the Solicitor General
and later Speaker
) from 1954 to 1959. He was a member of the Council of Europe
from 1957 to 1959, and sponsored the private members bill that became the Eisteddfod Act 1959.
He served as Parliamentary Secretary
at the Ministry of Labour
1959–61, taking charge of the measures that abolished the requirements for employees to be paid in cash and the maximum wage for professional footballer (£14 per week in November 1960). He moved to become Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office in 1961, travelling to Moscow
with Lord Home
in 1963 to sign the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. He was promoted to Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
in 1963, and joined the Privy Council in the Queen's Birthday Honours
of 1964, but left office when his party lost the 1964 general election
. In opposition, he was a spokesman on foreign affairs and then law from 1965–66. Although he had held his Conway seat (and steadily increased his majority) since 1951, he narrowly lost to Labour at the 1966 general election
, but returned as MP for Hendon South
at the general election in June 1970
, a position which he held until retiring in 1987.
During the whole of Edward Heath
's premiership he held the position of Secretary of State for Wales
. He was Secretary of State during a period of violent activism by proponents of the Welsh language, including bombings and a campaign by the Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (Welsh Language Society) to remove English road signs. In February 1971, paralleling plans to reorganise local government in England, Thomas announced the plans to replace the existing 181 local councils with 7 new county council
s counties and 36 district councils
. An extra county council was added later, for Cardiff. Thomas also served as Chairman of the Conservative Party
between 1970 and 1972.
Thomas remained Welsh spokesman after the Conservative Party lost the general election in February 1974
, but left the front bench when Margaret Thatcher
became party leader in February 1975. He became active on backbench committees, and was president of the Conservative Friends of Israel
. He retired from the House of Commons at the 1987 general election
, and received a life peerage in the dissolution honours list, gazetted
as Baron Thomas of Gwydir, of Llanrwst in the County of Gwynedd
.
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(31 July 1920 – 4 February 2008) was a Welsh
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...
Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician. He was the first Welshman to become Chairman of the Conservative Party
Chairman of the Conservative Party
In the United Kingdom, the Chairman of the Conservative Party is responsible for running the party machine, overseeing Conservative Central Office. When the Conservatives are in power, the Chairman is usually a member of the Cabinet being given a sinecure position such as Minister without Portfolio...
, serving from 1970 to 1972, and the first Conservative politician to serve as Secretary of State for Wales
Secretary of State for Wales
The Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the British cabinet. He or she is responsible for ensuring Welsh interests are taken into account by the government, representing the government within Wales and overseeing the passing of legislation which is only for Wales...
, holding that office from 1970 to 1974.
Early and family life
Thomas was born in LlanrwstLlanrwst
Llanrwst is a small town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It takes its name from the 5th century to 6th century Saint Grwst, and the original parish church in Cae Llan was replaced by the 12th-century church....
, where his father was a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
. He was educated at the village school, and then Epworth College in Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
, before reading law at Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
. He joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) in 1939, on the outbreak of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was shot down while serving as a bomber pilot in 1941, and spent four years in prisoner-of-war camps in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, moving from Stalag Luft VI
Stalag Luft VI
Stalag Luft VI was a German prisoner-of-war camp during World War II located near the town of Heydekrug, Memelland . It was the northernmost POW camp within the confines of the German Reich.-Camp history:...
to Stalag Luft III
Stalag Luft III
Stalag Luft III was a Luftwaffe-run prisoner-of-war camp during World War II that housed captured air force servicemen. It was in the German Province of Lower Silesia near the town of Sagan , southeast of Berlin...
and then at Stalag XI-B
Stalag XI-B
Stalag XI-B was a German Army POW camp near Fallingbostel in Lower Saxony, north-western Germany.-Timeline:* Originally a work camp at the west end of the huge German Army training grounds Bergen, it was transformed into a POW camp at the end of 1939, to serve as a base for prisoners working in...
. He continued his legal studies while imprisoned, and was also an amateur actor.
He became a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
after the war, and was called to the Bar in 1947 at Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
. He practised on the Wales and Chester circuit, and took silk as Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 1965. He became deputy chairman of Cheshire quarter sessions
Quarter Sessions
The Courts of Quarter Sessions or Quarter Sessions were local courts traditionally held at four set times each year in the United Kingdom and other countries in the former British Empire...
in 1966, and then of Denbighshire quarter sessions in 1968, serving in both offices until 1970. He was a Crown Court
Crown Court
The Crown Court of England and Wales is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
recorder
Recorder (judge)
A Recorder is a judicial officer in England and Wales. It now refers to two quite different appointments. The ancient Recorderships of England and Wales now form part of a system of Honorary Recorderships which are filled by the most senior full-time circuit judges...
from 1974 to 1988, and also sat as an arbitrator on the Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce
International Chamber of Commerce
The International Chamber of Commerce is the largest, most representative business organization in the world. Its hundreds of thousands of member companies in over 130 countries have interests spanning every sector of private enterprise....
in Paris.
He was bilingual in Welsh and English, and took an active part in the Gorsedd
Gorsedd
A gorsedd plural gorseddau, is a community or coming together of modern-day bards. The word is of Welsh origin, meaning "throne". It is occasionally spelled gorsedh , or goursez in Brittany....
, attending Eisteddfodau under the bard
Bard
In medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
ic name Pedr Conwy (Welsh: Peter from Conway).
He married Tessa Dean in 1947. She was the daughter of actor and film and theatrical producer Basil Dean
Basil Dean
Basil Herbert Dean CBE was an English actor, writer, film producer/director and theatrical producer/director....
and his wife, Lady Mercy Greville. His wife died in 1985, and he outlived both of their two sons. He was survived by his two daughters upon his death in February 2008 at the age of 87.
Political career
Thomas was elected to ParliamentParliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
as MP for Conway
Conwy (UK Parliament constituency)
Conwy was an electoral constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It returned one Member of Parliament by the single-member district plurality system of voting....
in 1951, winning a narrow majority in the marginal seat over the Labour incumbent. He turned down the position of Under-Secretary of State for Wales 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,...
to concentrate on his legal career, but later served as Parliamentary private secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to Sir Harry Hylton-Foster
Harry Hylton-Foster
Sir Harry Braustyn Hylton-Foster , was a British Conservative Party politician who served as an Member of Parliament from 1950 until his death...
(the Solicitor General
Solicitor General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales, often known as the Solicitor General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Attorney General, whose duty is to advise the Crown and Cabinet on the law...
and later Speaker
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
) from 1954 to 1959. He was a member of the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
from 1957 to 1959, and sponsored the private members bill that became the Eisteddfod Act 1959.
He served as Parliamentary Secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
at the Ministry of Labour
Ministry of Labour
The Ministry of Labour was a British civil service department established by the New Ministries and Secretaries Act 1916. It was renamed the Employment Department in 1988, and finally abolished in 1995...
1959–61, taking charge of the measures that abolished the requirements for employees to be paid in cash and the maximum wage for professional footballer (£14 per week in November 1960). He moved to become Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office in 1961, travelling to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
with Lord Home
Alec Douglas-Home
Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel, KT, PC , known as The Earl of Home from 1951 to 1963 and as Sir Alec Douglas-Home from 1963 to 1974, was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1963 to October 1964.He is the last...
in 1963 to sign the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. He was promoted to Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs is a junior ministerial position in the British government.-Ministers of State for Foreign Affairs 1945-1968:*1945: William Mabane*1945-1946: Philip Noel-Baker*1946-1950: Hector McNeil*1950-1951: Kenneth Younger...
in 1963, and joined the Privy Council in the Queen's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
of 1964, but left office when his party lost the 1964 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
. In opposition, he was a spokesman on foreign affairs and then law from 1965–66. Although he had held his Conway seat (and steadily increased his majority) since 1951, he narrowly lost to Labour 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...
, but returned as MP for Hendon South
Hendon South (UK Parliament constituency)
Hendon South was a constituency in the former Municipal Borough of Hendon which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
at the general election in June 1970
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
, a position which he held until retiring in 1987.
During the whole of Edward Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
's premiership he held the position of Secretary of State for Wales
Secretary of State for Wales
The Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the British cabinet. He or she is responsible for ensuring Welsh interests are taken into account by the government, representing the government within Wales and overseeing the passing of legislation which is only for Wales...
. He was Secretary of State during a period of violent activism by proponents of the Welsh language, including bombings and a campaign by the Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (Welsh Language Society) to remove English road signs. In February 1971, paralleling plans to reorganise local government in England, Thomas announced the plans to replace the existing 181 local councils with 7 new county council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
s counties and 36 district councils
Subdivisions of Wales
For local government purposes, Wales is divided into 22 single-tier principal areas, which are responsible for the provision of all local government services, including education, social work, environment and roads services...
. An extra county council was added later, for Cardiff. Thomas also served as Chairman of the Conservative Party
Chairman of the Conservative Party
In the United Kingdom, the Chairman of the Conservative Party is responsible for running the party machine, overseeing Conservative Central Office. When the Conservatives are in power, the Chairman is usually a member of the Cabinet being given a sinecure position such as Minister without Portfolio...
between 1970 and 1972.
Thomas remained Welsh spokesman after the Conservative Party lost the general election in February 1974
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,...
, but left the front bench when Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
became party leader in February 1975. He became active on backbench committees, and was president of the Conservative Friends of Israel
Conservative Friends of Israel
Conservative Friends of Israel, abbreviated to CFI, is a British parliamentary group affiliated to the Conservative Party and dedicated to strengthening business, cultural and political ties between the United Kingdom and Israel. CFI is an unincorporated associationIt was founded by the late...
. He retired from the House of Commons at the 1987 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
, and received a life peerage in the dissolution honours list, gazetted
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
as Baron Thomas of Gwydir, of Llanrwst in the County of Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
.