File NLW ex 1991 - Elwyn Jones Papers (Conservative Party)

David Elwyn Jones (1945-2003) was a Conservative Party agent in North Wales for 26 years from 1970 to 1996. A colourful, and sometimes controversial character, he had a high political profile locally and his strongly-held views often brought him into conflict with others, particularly with members of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg.

Born at Tremadog on 3 July 1945 into a Welsh-speaking family, the son of Elwyn Jones and Margaret Roberts, he spent his childhood in Blaenau Ffestiniog. After leaving secondary school in 1964 he enrolled at the Bala-Bangor Independent College, from where he gained a diploma in theology in 1968, before going on to do a one-year pastoral studies course at the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire in Cardiff. Upon completion of the course he was at first offered a post as the minister of the Independent chapel in Port Talbot, but when the offer was unexpectedly withdrawn he decided instead to pursue a career in political life.

On arriving at University in 1964 he had promptly joined the Conway Constituency Association of the Conservative Party, and had been actively involved in the General Election campaign of that year for the local MP Peter Thomas. In 1968 he stood as a candidate in the local council elections for Bangor Borough, and two years later took on the role of a trainee party agent, before being appointed election agent for Elgan Edwards, the prospective Conservative candidate for Merioneth, in 1970. In January 1971 he was initially appointed acting agent for the Conway Constituency Association, but was quickly made both full-time agent and secretary to the Association as well as agent to Wyn Roberts MP, with whom he closely worked during the two General Elections of 1974. In 1977 he was elected chairman of the Wales branch of the National Society of Conservative and Unionist Agents, the first fluent Welsh-speaker to be so elected, serving on the Conservative Party's central and executive councils as well as on the national finance and general purposes committee.

D. Elwyn Jones strongly opposed the campaign for devolution in 1979, becoming leader of the victorious 'No Assembly' campaign in Gwynedd. In 1983 he was made agent and secretary to the Clwyd South West Constituency Association, as well as election agent for Robert Harvey MP, and during the 1987 General Election campaign he worked as agent for both Dennis T. Jones, the Conservative candidate for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, and Felix Aubel, the candidate for Caernarfon. At the time of the European Election of 1989 he acted as personal assistant to Beata Brookes MEP, and also became Honorary Secretary of the North Wales European Constituency Conservative Council. At the end of August 1992, D. Elwyn Jones resigned as agent and secretary to the Clwyd South West Association amidst some acrimony. However, he continued working in his other positions, as well as taking on the job of campaign manager for North Wales during the European election of 1994. Two years later he resigned his other posts and finally left the Conservative Party in September 1996. In February 2003 he joined the United Kingdom Independence Party, becoming the Party's vice-chairman in North Wales.

After his resignation as the agent for the Conwy Association in 1992, D. Elwyn Jones joined the team of the nightly current affairs programme 'Heno' on S4C. He was also a regular contributor to the political column of Y Faner, as well as to other publications such as Golwg, Y Cymro and the Women's magazine Mela. He was also a writer of poetry, an anthology of his work was published as O Love of Things in 1997. D. Elwyn Jones died at his home in Deganwy on 16 April 2003.