Elystan Morgan, Baron Elystan-Morgan

Lord Elystan-Morgan

Dafydd Elystan Elystan-Morgan, Baron Elystan-Morgan (born 7 December 1932), known as Elystan Morgan, is a Welsh politician.

Morgan was educated at Ardwyn Grammar School, Aberystwyth and the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. He became a solicitor.

Originally a Plaid Cymru candidate, Morgan contested Wrexham three times, at the by-election in 1955, and at the general elections in 1955 and in 1959, and contested Merioneth at the general election in 1964.

Morgan joined the Labour Party and was elected Member of Parliament for Cardiganshire, Wales at the 1966 general election, and served as a junior minister from 1968 to 1970, as Under-Secretary at the Home Office He was chairman of the Welsh Parliamentary Labour Party between 1971 and 1974. In the February 1974 general election, Morgan lost his seat to the Liberal, Geraint Howells.

In 1959, Morgan married Alwen Roberts, daughter of William E. Roberts.

He was admitted to Gray's Inn in 1971 entitled to practice as a barrister. He was created Baron Elystan-Morgan, of Aberteifi in the County of Dyfed [U.K. Life Peer] on 27 May 1981. He held the office of Recorder between 1983 and 1987. He held the office of Circuit Judge between 1987 and 2003.

On 6 March 2007, Morgan supported the abolition of the blasphemy laws of the UK, quoting Professor Dawkins' description of God as "a petty, unjust, unforgiving control freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully". A deacon in the Presbyterian Church of Wales, he was making the point that God did not need the protection of the law.

References

• House of Lords: alphabetical list of Members Link to page with Lord Elystan-Morgan's details
• Times Guide to the House of Commons, 1966 and October 1974
• Sir Emyr Jones Parry appointed President of the University University of Aberystwyth, 5 July 2007

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Elystan Morgan

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Roderic Bowen	Member of Parliament for Cardiganshire 1966–February 1974	Succeeded by Geraint Howells
Academic offices
Preceded by Melvin Rosser	President of the University of Wales Aberystwyth 1997-2007	Succeeded by Emyr Jones Parry

Persondata
Name	Morgan, Elystan
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Date of birth	7 December 1932
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