Thomas Williams (UK politician)
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Williams, QC
(22 September 1915 - 28 February 1986) was a British
Labour Co-operative
politician.
Williams was educated at University College, Cardiff
and St. Catherine's College, Oxford. He was President of the South Wales University Students' Union
in 1939. He was a Baptist
minister and a chaplain
with the Royal Air Force
for returned prisoners of war
. He became a barrister, called to the bar by Lincoln's Inn
, and a Queen's Counsel
, and was bursar
and a tutor at Manchester College, Oxford.
Williams was Member of Parliament
for Hammersmith South
from a 1949 by-election
to 1955, Baron's Court
from 1955 to 1959, and Warrington
from a 1961 by-election
. Williams served as parliamentary private secretary
to the Attorney-General from 1964.
In 1981 Williams, who had continued working as a barrister throughout his time in Parliament, was appointed a High Court Judge. This appointment obliged him to vacate his seat and led to the famous by-election
at which Roy Jenkins
became the first Parliamentary candidate for the Social Democratic Party
. It was suggested in Private Eye that the appointment was deliberate because the Warrington constituency would be difficult for the SDP to win.
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...
(22 September 1915 - 28 February 1986) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Labour Co-operative
Labour Co-operative
Labour and Co-operative describes those candidates in British elections standing on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party, based on a national agreement between the two parties....
politician.
Williams was educated at University College, Cardiff
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
and St. Catherine's College, Oxford. He was President of the South Wales University Students' Union
Students' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
in 1939. He was a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister and a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
with 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...
for returned prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. He became a barrister, called to the bar by Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
, and a 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...
, and was bursar
Bursar
A bursar is a senior professional financial administrator in a school or university.Billing of student tuition accounts are the responsibility of the Office of the Bursar. This involves sending bills and making payment plans with the ultimate goal of getting the student accounts paid off...
and a tutor at Manchester College, Oxford.
Williams was 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 Hammersmith South
Hammersmith South (UK Parliament constituency)
Hammersmith South was a borough constituency in the Metropolitan Borough of Hammersmith in west London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post system....
from a 1949 by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
to 1955, Baron's Court
Barons Court (UK Parliament constituency)
Barons Court was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1955 to 1974. It was represented by one Member of Parliament , elected by the first-past-the-post system of election.- Boundaries :...
from 1955 to 1959, and Warrington
Warrington (UK Parliament constituency)
Warrington was a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom. From 1832 to 1983 it returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
from a 1961 by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
. Williams 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 the Attorney-General from 1964.
In 1981 Williams, who had continued working as a barrister throughout his time in Parliament, was appointed a High Court Judge. This appointment obliged him to vacate his seat and led to the famous by-election
Warrington by-election, 1981
The Warrington by-election, 1981 was held on 16 July 1981.The by-election was caused by the appointment of Thomas Williams, Labour Party Member of Parliament for Warrington, as a High Court Judge....
at which Roy Jenkins
Roy Jenkins
Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead OM, PC was a British politician.The son of a Welsh coal miner who later became a union official and Labour MP, Roy Jenkins served with distinction in World War II. Elected to Parliament as a Labour member in 1948, he served in several major posts in...
became the first Parliamentary candidate for the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
. It was suggested in Private Eye that the appointment was deliberate because the Warrington constituency would be difficult for the SDP to win.