Roy Hughes

Royston John Hughes, Baron Islwyn (9 June 1925—19 December 2003), was a British Labour Party politician, and union organiser. He served as MP for Newport from 1966 to 1983, and for Newport East from 1983 until his retirement in 1997. He accepted a life peerage upon his retirement, and became Baron Islwyn, of Casnewydd in the County of Gwent.

Early life

Hughes was born in the Welsh town of Pontllanfraith located near his later constituency of Newport and worked as a miner from 1940 until 1943, completing grammar school at Pontllanfraith. He then enlisted into the British Army and served with the 2nd battalion of the Welch Regiment.

After demobilisation in 1946, Hughes became a Labour Party member and moved to Coventry where he worked as a manager for the Standard Motor Company, where he obtained a degree from Ruskin College, Oxford and became an administrator for Standard Motor from 1957 until 1966. He then became a union leader, working as an officer of the TGWU from 1959 to 1966. He was a councillor on Coventry City Council and secretary of Coventry Labour Party from 1962.

Parliamentary career

In 1966, he was elected to Parliament and became MP for Newport, replacing former Home Secretary Sir Frank Soskice, winning a large majority of votes. In his maiden speech, he praised the current government for providing pensioners with fuel benefits.

Later, he became known for his pro-union viewpoint, as well as support for what he termed the unalienable rights of the Palestinian people. He claimed that in order to "get a fair picture of Industry, he would read the "Morning Star". He also sponsored a bill to protect badgers in 1991, and was an honorary member of several football and cricket teams.

Personal life

Hughes married Marion Appleyard in 1957 and they had three daughters.

References

*"Times Guide to the House of Commons" Times Newspapers Limited, 1992
* [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/politicsobituaries/story/0,,1111669,00.html Lord Islwyn of Casnewydd obituary] , Andrew Roth, "The Guardian", December 23, 2003. Retrieved June 15, 2006.
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/12/22/db2202.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2003/12/22/ixopright.html Lord Islwyn obituary] , "The Daily Telegraph", December 22, 2003. Retrieved June 15, 2006.