John Morris, Baron Morris of Aberavon
The Lord Morris of Aberavon | |||
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![]() Morris in 2019 | |||
Attorney General for England and Wales Attorney General for Northern Ireland | |||
In office 2 May 1997 – 29 July 1999 | |||
Prime Minister | Tony Blair | ||
Solicitor General | |||
Preceded by | Nicholas Lyell | ||
Succeeded by | The Lord Williams of Mostyn | ||
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Assumed office
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In office 8 October 1959 – 14 May 2001 | |||
Preceded by | William Cove | ||
Succeeded by | Hywel Francis | ||
Personal details | |||
Born | Capel Bangor, Wales | 5 November 1931||
Political party | Labour | ||
Alma mater |
John Morris, Baron Morris of Aberavon, KG, PC, QC (born 5 November 1931) is a British politician.[1] He was a Labour Member of Parliament (MP) from 1959 to 2001, which included a period as Secretary of State for Wales from 1974 to 1979.[2] As of 2021, he is the only living former Labour MP who was first elected in the 1950s.[3] He is also the last surviving member of Harold Wilson's 1974–76 cabinet.
Background and education[]
Morris was born in Capel Bangor, Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire. He was educated at Ardwyn School, the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.[2]
Professional career[]
Morris was a barrister and was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1954. He practised at 2 Bedford Row Chambers, took silk in 1973 and was made a Bencher of Gray's Inn in 1984. 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 was the longest serving Welsh MP in Parliament, until his retirement in 2001, when he was succeeded by Hywel Francis. According to The Almanac of British Politics, Morris was a "moderate" Labour MP.[4]
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. Having been sworn of the Privy Council in the 1970 Birthday Honours,[5] 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[]
Lord Morris has been Chancellor of the University of South Wales since its formation in 2013. The University of South Wales was formed by a merger between University of Glamorgan (where Lord Morris was Chancellor since 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.[6] He is also a council member of The Prince's Trust.
Honours[]
He 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,[7][8] was made Lord Lieutenant of Dyfed a year later[9] and was appointed to the Order of the Garter as a Knight Companion (KG) in 2003.[10]
Arms[]
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References[]
- ^ "Morris, John, 1931 Nov. 5- - National Library of Wales Archives and Manuscripts". archives.library.wales. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Morris of Aberavon, Baron, (John Morris) (born Nov. 1931)". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u28179. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ Pointer, Graham (21 December 2014). "Graham Pointer's Blog: Elected In The 50s - A Look At Surviving Ex-MPs". Graham Pointer's Blog. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
- ^ Waller, Robert; Criddle, Byron (1999). The Almanac of British Politics. ISBN 9780415185417.
- ^ "No. 45117". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 June 1970. p. 6365.
- ^ "Our Former Presidents: London Welsh Centre". London Welsh Centre website. London Welsh Centre. 2010. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
- ^ "No. 56266". The London Gazette. 6 July 2001. p. 7999.
- ^ "No. 25044". The Edinburgh Gazette. 6 July 2001. p. 1528.
- ^ "No. 56787". The London Gazette. 19 December 2002. p. 15392.
- ^ "No. 56915". The London Gazette. 23 April 2003. p. 5017.
- ^ Arms of the Baron Morris of Aberavon blazon. Cracroft's Peerage. Retrieved 16 January 2014
- ^ Anthony Acland's crest Heraldic Sculptor. Retrieved 20 December 2013
- ^ Anthony Acland's banner of arms image. Retrieved 24 December 2013
- ^ Acland's arms image. Retrieved 24 December 2013
External links[]
- 1931 births
- Alumni of Aberystwyth University
- Alumni of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
- Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staff-sponsored MPs
- Attorneys General for England and Wales
- Attorneys General for Northern Ireland
- British Secretaries of State
- British Queen's Counsel
- Chancellors of the University of Glamorgan
- Knights of the Garter
- Welsh Labour Party MPs
- Labour Party (UK) life peers
- Living people
- Lord-Lieutenants of Dyfed
- Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
- Northern Ireland Government ministers
- People educated at Ardwyn School, Aberystwyth
- Politics of Neath Port Talbot
- Secretaries of State for Wales
- Welsh barristers
- UK MPs 1959–1964
- UK MPs 1964–1966
- UK MPs 1966–1970
- UK MPs 1970–1974
- UK MPs 1974
- UK MPs 1974–1979
- UK MPs 1979–1983
- UK MPs 1983–1987
- UK MPs 1987–1992
- UK MPs 1992–1997
- UK MPs 1997–2001
- Ministers in the Wilson governments, 1964–1970