Cledwyn of Penrhos, Cledwyn Hughes, Baron, 1916-2001

Person

Cledwyn of Penrhos, Cledwyn Hughes, Baron, 1916-2001

• Hughes, Cledwyn, 1916-2001
• Cledwyn o Benrhos, Cledwyn Hughes, Arglwydd, 1916-2001
• Arglwydd Cledwyn o Benrhos, 1916-2001

1916-2001

Cledwyn Hughes, Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos, (1916-2001), was a prominent Labour politician and Welshman.
Cledwyn Hughes, a native of Holyhead, a son of the manse, graduated in law from Aberystwyth in 1937, qualified as a solicitor in 1940, served in the RAF during the war and worked as a solicitor in Anglesey from 1946. After standing twice in the Labour interest against Lady Megan Lloyd George in 1945 and 1950, he captured Anglesey in 1951, thereafter serving continuously until his retirement in 1979. A fervent devolutionist, Hughes was the second Secretary of State for Wales, 1966-1968, succeeding the veteran Jim Griffiths, and pressing successfully to extend the powers and authority of the new department. He was also Minister of Agriculture, 1968-1970, and Chairman of the Labour Party, 1974-1979. Hughes held a large number of offices within the Labour Party and at Westminster.
Following his retirement from the Commons, he became the Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos, acting as opposition leader in the Lords, 1982-1992, fighting against some of the excesses of the Conservative governments. He was an active president of the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, 1975-1985, and subsequently Pro-Chancellor of the University of Wales, 1985-1994. Lord Cledwyn was also an erudite, cultured, patriotic Welshman who remained passionately supportive of the National Eisteddfod.

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