Gareth Williams, Baron Williams of Mostyn

The Right Honourable The Lord Williams of Mostyn PC QC
Leader of the House of Lords
In office 8 June 2001 – 20 September 2003
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	The Baroness Jay of Paddington
Succeeded by	The Baroness Amos
Lord President of the Council
In office 13 June 2003 – 20 September 2003
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	John Reid
Succeeded by	The Baroness Amos
Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
In office 8 June 2001 – 13 June 2003
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	The Baroness Jay of Paddington
Succeeded by	Peter Hain
Attorney General for England and Wales Attorney General for Northern Ireland
In office 29 July 1999 – 8 June 2001
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	John Morris
Succeeded by	The Lord Goldsmith
Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
In office October 1998 – June 2001
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Leader	The Baroness Jay of Paddington
Preceded by	The Baroness Jay of Paddington
Succeeded by	The Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
Minister of State for Prisons
In office 28 July 1998 – 28 July 1999
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Joyce Quin
Succeeded by	Charles Clarke
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs
In office 2 May 1997 – 28 July 1998
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Tom Sackville
Succeeded by	Kate Hoey
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 20 July 1992 – 20 September 2003 Life peerage
Personal details
Born	(1941-02-05)5 February 1941 Prestatyn, United Kingdom
Died	20 September 2003(2003-09-20) (aged 62) Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
Political party	Labour
Alma mater	Queens' College, Cambridge

Gareth Wyn Williams, Baron Williams of Mostyn, PC, QC (5 February 1941 – 20 September 2003), was a Welsh barrister and Labour politician who was Leader of the House of Lords, Lord President of the Council and a member of the Cabinet from 2001 until his sudden death in 2003.

Early life[]

Williams was born near Prestatyn, in North Wales, a son of Albert Thomas Williams and his wife Selina, née Evans. He was educated at and at Queens' College, Cambridge.

Legal career[]

He had a successful legal career, having been called to the bar at Gray's Inn in 1965,^[1] taking silk in 1978,^[1] being a Recorder in 1978–2003,^[2] being a Deputy High Court Judge, being the Leader of the Wales and Chester Circuit in 1987–89,^[1] and was a Member of the Bar Council in 1986-92^[1] and became the Chairman in 1992.^[1]

Political career[]

He was created a life peer on 20 July 1992 as Baron Williams of Mostyn, of Great Tew in the County of Oxfordshire,^[3] and became an opposition spokesman in the House of Lords on Legal Affairs, and later Northern Ireland. After Labour's election victory he was appointed a Home Office minister, and in 1999 became Attorney General for England and Wales and Northern Ireland. He was appointed Leader of the House of Lords in 2001, initially with the sinecure office of Lord Privy Seal, for which Lord President of the Council was substituted in 2003.

Reputation among his colleagues[]

As part of the celebrations to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Life Peerages Act, Lord Williams was voted by the current members of the House of Lords as the outstanding life peer since the creation of the life peerage.^[4] In his book A View from the Foothills Chris Mullin wrote that he thought that Gareth Williams was most likely to succeed Derry Irvine as Lord Chancellor; the position was ultimately fulfilled by Charles Falconer.^[5]

Personal life[]

Williams married, firstly, in 1962, Pauline Clarke, daughter of Ernest Clarke, and by her had two daughters, Martha (born 1973) and Emma (born 1976), and a son, Daniel (born 1981). They divorced, and he married, secondly, in 1994, Veena M. Russell, and by her had one daughter, Imogen.

Death[]

He collapsed and died suddenly at his home in Gloucestershire, at the age of 62. He was survived by his four children.

Coat of arms[]

Coat of arms of Gareth Williams, Baron Williams of Mostyn hide

Coronet A Coronet of a Baron Crest A Portcullis Or in front of an Arm embowed vested and the Cuff braided Sable frilled at the wrist the Hand proper holding by its Blade upwards Argent a Sword palewise to the front of the portcullis its Hilt Pommel and Quillons Or Escutcheon Ermine on a Pile flory at the point Sable a Lion rampant Or armed and langued Gules Supporters Dexter: upon a Grassy Mount growing therefrom two Sweet Pea Flowers proper a Griffin statant erect Or; Sinister: upon a like Mount a Dragon statant erect also Or, both armed and langued Gules Motto Y Gwir Yn Erbyn Y Byd (The truth against the world)

References[]

Bibliography[]

• Burke's Peerage & Baronetage (106th edition, 1999) edited by Charles Mosley

External links[]

• "Interview: Lord Williams" - Guardian Unlimited Politics interview with Lord Williams by Julian Glover, dated Friday, 28 June 2002, giving the peer's views on reform of the House of Lords
• "Leader of House of Lords dies" - BBC News article, dated Saturday, 20 September 2003
• "Lords loses smooth operator" - BBC News article, dated Saturday, 20 September 2003
• "Tributes to a superb wit" - BBC News article, dated Saturday, 20 September 2003