John Morris, Baron Morris of Aberavon

Background and education

Morris was born in Capel Bangor, Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire, on 5 November 1931. He was educated at the Ardwyn School, the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. During the course of his national service, he was stationed with the Royal Welch Fusiliers, the Welch Regiment, and the South Wales Borderers.

In 1959, Morris married Margaret Lewis, and they had three daughters.

Legal career

Morris was a barrister and was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1954. He served as a legal adviser and deputy general secretary for the Farmers' Union of Wales. He practised at 2 Bedford Row Chambers, took silk in 1973, and was made a Bencher of Gray's Inn in 1985. Between 1982 and 1997, he was a Recorder of the Crown Court.

Political career

Morris represented Aberavon as its Labour MP from 1959 onwards, and subsequently became the longest serving Welsh MP in Parliament, until his retirement in 2001.

Morris served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Transport, and Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence. Morris joined the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Wales between 5 March 1974 and 4 May 1979 and returned to Government as the Attorney General for England and Wales and Northern Ireland between 1997 and 1999, having shadowed the role since 1983. As such, he was one of only a small handful of Labour ministers to hold office under Harold Wilson, James Callaghan and Tony Blair.

Other positions held

Morris was the Chancellor of the University of South Wales from the time of its formation in 2013. The University of South Wales was formed by a merger between University of Glamorgan (where Lord Morris was Chancellor from 2002) and the University of Wales, Newport. He succeeded fellow Labour politician Lord Merlyn-Rees as the Chancellor for the University of Glamorgan. Lord Morris was President of the London Welsh Trust, which runs the London Welsh Centre, Gray's Inn Road, from 2001 until 2008. He was also a council member of The Prince's Trust.

Later life and death

His memoir, Fifty Years in Politics and the Law, was published in 2011.

At the death of the 29th Earl of Crawford on 18 March 2023, Morris and Stratton Mills became the surviving former MPs with the earliest date of first election, both having first entered Parliament at the 1959 general election.

Lord Morris of Aberavon died on 5 June 2023, at the age of 91.

Honours

Morris was raised to the peerage for life as Baron Morris of Aberavon, of Aberavon in the County of West Glamorgan and of Ceredigion in the County of Dyfed, in the 2001 Dissolution Honours, was made Lord Lieutenant of Dyfed a year later and was appointed to the Order of the Garter as a Knight Companion (KG) in 2003.

Arms

Welsh: He who would a leader be, be a bridge

References

References

1. Langdon, Julia. (2023-06-08). "Lord Morris of Aberavon obituary". The Guardian.
2. "Lord Morris of Aberavon, who was Labour minister under Harold Wilson and Tony Blair, dies aged 91".
3. (2007). "Morris of Aberavon, Baron, (John Morris) (born Nov. 1931)".
4. https://newyddion.s4c.cymru/article/14717
5. Pointer, Graham. (21 December 2014). "Graham Pointer's Blog: Elected In The 50s – A Look At Surviving Ex-MPs".
6. "Privy Council Members: M". [[Privy Council Office (United Kingdom).
7. "Morris, John, 1931 Nov. 5- - National Library of Wales Archives and Manuscripts".
8. (6 June 2023). "Lord Morris of Aberavon, MP who over 41 years in the Commons served in four Labour governments – obituary". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
9. (1999). "The Almanac of British Politics".
10. Having been sworn of the [[Privy Council (United Kingdom). Privy Council]] in the [[1970 Birthday Honours]],{{London Gazette. (5 June 1970)
11. Langdon, Julia. (8 June 2023). "Lord Morris of Aberavon obituary". The Guardian.
12. "Tribute to Lord Morris of Aberavon".
13. (6 January 2006). "A Minister and a moderniser".
14. (2010). "Our Former Presidents: London Welsh Centre". [[London Welsh Centre]].
15. (2011). "Fifty Years in Politics and the Law". University of Wales Press.
16. (5 June 2023). "Lord John Morris, ex-Welsh secretary and Blair attorney general dies". BBC News.
17. {{London Gazette. (6 July 2001)
18. {{London Gazette. (6 July 2001)
19. {{London Gazette. (19 December 2002)
20. {{London Gazette. (23 April 2003)
21. [http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/lp1958%20m.htm ''Arms of the Baron Morris of Aberavon blazon. Cracroft's Peerage'']. Retrieved 16 January 2014
22. [http://www.heraldicsculptor.com/gartcres.html Anthony Acland's crest] Heraldic Sculptor. Retrieved 20 December 2013
23. [http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/assets/images/About/Features/StrangerKnightsbanners002.jpg Anthony Acland's banner of arms image.] Retrieved 24 December 2013
24. [[:File:SirArthurAcland Achievement Landkey.JPG. Acland's arms image]]. Retrieved 24 December 2013