Dafydd Elis-Thomas

Background

Dafydd Elis Thomas was born on 18 October 1946 at Priory Hospital, Carmarthen, and brought up in the Llandysul area of Ceredigion, and in Llanrwst in the Conwy Valley. In 1970, he married Elen Williams and had three sons. They later divorced. From the mid-1980s until 1992 his partner was Marjorie Thompson, the chairwoman of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). In 1993, he married Mair Parry-Jones. Between 1993 and his death, he lived in Llandaff, Cardiff (when working at the Senedd), and Betws-y-Coed (which was in his constituency of Meirionnydd Nant Conwy prior to the 2010 boundary changes).

Professional career

Elis-Thomas was the chairman of the Welsh Language Board between 1994 and 1999, and was a member of the Arts Council of Wales, governor of the British Film Institute and chairman of Screen Wales between 1992 and 1999. He was a director and vice-chairman of Cynefin Environmental Ltd. between 1992 and 1999. A former university lecturer, he was the chancellor and chair of Council at Bangor University between 2000 and 2017, as well as being a member of the governing body of the Church in Wales. He was an honorary president of the anti-fascist organisation Searchlight Cymru.

Political career and views

UK Parliament

Having come third at Conwy in the 1970 general election, Thomas served as MP for Merioneth between 1974 and 1983, initially as the Baby of the House, and subsequently as MP for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy from 1983 to 1992. On entering the House of Commons after the February 1974 election, he became one of the first MPs to be allowed to take the oath of allegiance in Welsh as well as in English. For most of his time in the House of Commons, he was one of only two Plaid Cymru MPs, alongside Dafydd Wigley. In 1981, Thomas moved the writ in the Westminster Parliament that allowed for the election of Provisional Irish Republican Army hunger striker Bobby Sands in Fermanagh South Tyrone. Thomas was noted for the number of questions he tabled during his time in parliament, through which he secured economic support for Wales, bolstered the status of the Welsh language and played a leading role in thwarting the closure of the Cambrian Coast railway. In 1991 he announced that he would not stand for parliament at the next election.

He was created a life peer on 18 September 1992 as Baron Elis-Thomas, of Nant Conwy in the County of Gwynedd, with a change of his surname from Thomas to Elis-Thomas. He sat as a crossbench peer because at that time he had taken on the non-political role of chair of the Welsh Language Board; upon leaving that post in 1999, he took the Plaid Cymru whip in the Lords until leaving the party in 2016.

Senedd

Elis-Thomas was elected to the newly established National Assembly for Wales (now called "Senedd Cymru" or "the Welsh Parliament", or simply Senedd) in 1999, representing the Meirionnydd Nant Conwy constituency until the 2007 election, and then the Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency. He also held the position of Presiding Officer from the Assembly's inception in 1999 until 2011. In the early Assembly he successfully expanded the role of the Office of the Presiding Officer, playing a significant role in establishing de facto separation of powers between the Welsh Assembly and the Welsh Assembly government, despite the lack of separation prescribed by the Government of Wales Act 1998 and the corporate structure of the Assembly.

During his tenure as Presiding Officer, he also expelled Assembly member Leanne Wood from the Assembly chamber during a December 2004 debate after Wood referred to Queen Elizabeth II as "Mrs Windsor" during a debate and refused to withdraw the remark, the first time an AM was ordered out of the chamber.

From 2011, Elis-Thomas was Plaid Cymru's spokesperson for Environment, Energy and Planning before transferring to Rural Affairs, Fisheries and Food in 2012. In October 2016 he left Plaid Cymru, alleging that they were 'not willing to seriously participate in government', describing Brexit as a 'serious constitutional challenge' and a threat to the powers of the Assembly. He remained in the Assembly as an Independent member. In November 2017, as part of a Welsh Government reshuffle, Elis-Thomas was appointed as Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport.

He announced on Dewi Llwyd's BBC Radio Cymru programme on 12 April 2020 that after long consideration and realising that there were many other ways to serve society, he would not be standing for Dwyfor Meirionnydd in the 2021 Senedd election.

Europe

Thomas, in line with Plaid Cymru policy, was a strong supporter of a "no" vote in the 1975 European Communities referendum. Fourteen years later, he contended unsuccessfully for the North Wales European Parliament seat in the 1989 election.

Death and funeral

Elis-Thomas died peacefully at his home after a short illness, on 7 February 2025, at the age of 78.

Following his death First Minister Eluned Morgan paid tribute saying: "Wales has lost one of its greatest servants, and many of us have lost an irreplaceable friend. Dafydd was a true giant of Welsh politics and a passionate champion of our nation, our language, and our culture."

In a letter to his widow King Charles III wrote: "Our public life will be so very much the poorer without his thoughtful and stimulating presence. There can be few people who have contributed so much to the lives of their nation, in so many fields, for so long."

Elis-Thomas' funeral was held at Llandaff Cathedral on 14 March 2025 and attended by hundreds of mourners. Following the funeral as part of the procession his body was taken past the Welsh Senedd.

Legacy

A biography of Elis-Thomas by Aled Eirug was published on 22 September 2025.

References

References

1. Masters, Adrian. (18 August 2023). "Ex-Senedd Presiding Officer Dafydd Elis-Thomas rejoins Plaid Cymru nearly seven years after quitting". ITV News.
2. Shipton, Martin. (6 November 2023). "Dafydd Elis-Thomas abandons bid to rejoin Plaid Cymru". Nation.Cymru.
3. (2013). "Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM". [[BBC]].
4. (2013). "Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM". [[Plaid Cymru]].
5. (7 February 2025). "Obituaries: Lord Elis-Thomas, energetic Welsh nationalist who took a pragmatic approach to devolution". The Daily Telegraph.
6. (2000). "Annual Review 1 April 1999 – 31 March 2000". [[British Film Institute]].
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9. Mansfield, Mark. (2025-02-07). "Dafydd Elis-Thomas dies aged 78".
10. {{London Gazette. (23 September 1992)
11. Bodden, Tom. (8 February 2012). "Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas hits out at Plaid leadership rival's 'back room deal'".
12. Rawlings, Richard. (2003). "Delineating Wales: constitutional, legal and administrative aspects of national devolution". University of Wales Press.
13. (31 October 2009). "Leanne Wood expelled from chamber". [[BBC]].
14. (2016-10-15). "Ex-leader Lord Elis-Thomas left Plaid Cymru over Labour stance". [[BBC News]].
15. (14 October 2016). "Plaid Cymru AM Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas quits party". BBC News.
16. . (3 November 2017). ["Ex-Plaid leader Lord Elis-Thomas gets Labour Welsh Government job"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-41863007).
17. (12 April 2020). "Lord Elis-Thomas vows not to stand in 2021 election". BBC News.
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22. (7 February 2025). "Former Plaid Cymru leader Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas has died".
23. "Former Plaid Cymru leader has died, aged 78". BBC News.
24. "King's tribute as hundreds attend Lord Elis-Thomas funeral". BBC News.
25. "Huge turnout for funeral of Dafydd Elis-Thomas". Nation.Cymru.
26. "Dafydd Elis-Thomas: Nation Builder".