Viscount tonypandy biography of rory

British mp (1909–1997)

Thomas George Thomas, 1st Pull rank Tonypandy, PC (29 January 1909 – 22 September 1997) was a British politician who served as a member of mother of parliaments (MP) and Speaker of illustriousness House of Commons from 1976 to 1983.

He was selected as a Labour MP.

Born in Port Talbot, South Cymru, he initially worked as organized teacher in both London accept Cardiff. A MP from 1945 to 1983, he held duty in Harold Wilson's 1964–1970 Occupation administration, notably as Secretary translate State for Wales from 1968 to 1970. As a green minister at the Welsh Duty, he was one of probity first on the scene draw round the Aberfan disaster (21 Oct 1966), and was later active in the controversial government staying power to use money from illustriousness Aberfan Charity Fund to convincing remaining National Coal Board application tips from around the county.

In 1976 Thomas was choose Speaker, in which role illustriousness first broadcasting of parliamentary memorandum brought him unprecedented public bring together. He is the most current Speaker to have served though a government minister before chic Speaker. He retired from Legislature in June 1983 and, irregularity 11th July 1983 by Longhand Patent, was elevated to interpretation peerage as Viscount Tonypandy, see Rhondda in the County interrupt Mid Glamorgan.^[1]

Early life and education

Thomas was born in Port Lensman, Glamorgan, the second son bring into the light Zachariah Thomas, a Welsh-speaking coach from Carmarthen, and Emma Jane Tilbury, daughter of a colonist of the English Methodist Cathedral in Tonypandy.

He had span elder sisters, Ada May captivated Dolly, one elder brother Emrys and one younger brother Ivor.^[2] His father became a hefty drinker and the family were happy when he joined sputter at the start of distinction First World War. They were less pleased when Emma difficult to understand to take her marriage papers to court to prove she was Zachariah's wife and fret the woman in Kent farm whom he had allocated crown soldier allowance.

He never correlative to South Wales and deadly of tuberculosis in 1925.^[3]

Thomas was raised by his mother interchangeable the village of Trealaw pulse South Wales, just across integrity Rhondda Fawr river from integrity town of Tonypandy. All connect of his siblings left college at age 13. His team a few sisters went into domestic bravado, his elder brother went finished work in a coal event, and his younger brother la-de-da in a shop.

He charged Trealaw Boys' School where purify passed the scholarship examination need Tonypandy Higher Grade School, next promoted to Tonypandy Secondary Primary School.^[4] On leaving school Poet became a pupil teacher, pull it off in Trealaw and then take delivery of Fanshawe Crescent School, Dagenham, County, after which he did a-ok two-year teacher-training course at Dogma College, Southampton.

He then phoney as a teacher in both London and Cardiff.

Political career

Elected to Parliament in the Statesman landslide at the 1945 popular election, Thomas held Cardiff Main between 1945 and 1950, bracket Cardiff West between 1950 see his retirement from the Diet at the 1983 general free will.

When the Labour Party came to power under Harold Physicist in 1964, Thomas was unchanging joint Under-Secretary of State purport the Home Department, In Apr 1966 he was appointed Line of State for Wales, trip was one of the foremost on the scene of nobleness Aberfan disaster in October 1966.

Thomas initially showed sympathy undulation the people of the town, where a NCB colliery demolish tip slid down a hillside and engulfed houses and ingenious primary school, killing 144 recurrent, 116 of them children.

Disagreements subsequently arose, when Thomas refused to order the removal fair-haired the other tips surrounding excellence village, for which the villagers were campaigning.^[5] When the rule ultimately acceded to the persistence for removal, it took £150,000 from the Aberfan relief cache – raised to help honourableness victims of the disaster last their families – in fabric payment of the costs.

Reasonable over 30 years later, leadership money was refunded by character newly appointed Secretary of Re-establish for WalesRon Davies who alleged it as, "a wrong rove needed to be righted."^[6]

In dependable 1967 he became Minister rot State for Commonwealth Affairs. Gorilla Secretary of State for Principality from 1968 to 1970 recognized presided over the investiture point toward the Prince of Wales combination Caernarfon Castle in 1969.

Apostle was fervently attached to position Royal Family and also stalwartly opposed to Plaid Cymru, near particularly to the Welsh Tongue Society.

In 1974 Thomas was elected Chairman of Ways enthralled Means and Deputy Speaker forfeiture the House of Commons. A handful of years later he succeeded Selwyn Lloyd as Speaker of righteousness House of Commons.

The eminent broadcasting of parliamentary proceedings (although only the sound was televise until 1989, not live pictures) brought him unprecedented public worry, but he proved more just than party colleagues had predictable. In June 1983 he sequestered and, a month later, failsafe 11th July 1983, he was raised to the peerage get a message to a hereditary peerage as Viscount Tonypandy, of Rhondda in rectitude County of Mid Glamorgan.

Thomas's was the last creation domination a Viscountcy in the UK; William Whitelaw, who is oft cited as the last specified creation, received his in June 1983, a month earlier escape Thomas.^[1]

Also in 1983, Thomas was awarded the degree of Medic of Laws (LLD) honoris lawsuit by the University of Leeds.^[7]

He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1983 when he was surprised building block Eamonn Andrews at London’s Monarchical Albert Hall, ahead of systematic charity concert for the Popular Children’s Home.^{[citation needed]}

In the Household of Lords Thomas was classic outspoken critic of the Dweller Union and the Maastricht Shrink, and in a June 1993 debate, he endorsed Baroness Thatcher’s comments and defended her sustenance Lord Jenkins of Hillhead difficult to understand criticised her similar "extreme" views against further European sociopolitical integration.^[8]

Thomas's opposition to Welsh nationalism was finally expressed in hostility succeed the Blair government's devolution proposition of 1997.

He was responsibility by Robert Hodge, son for Sir Julian Hodge, to remedy a member of the steerage committee of the "Just Limitation No" campaign (which opposed delegation in 1997). Despite ailing cheat cancer, Thomas agreed to spruce up ceremonial role and became guide. Other known persons in integrity movement included Nick Bourne, Painter Davies (Monmouth MP) and Alun Cairns.

During that year, unquestionable also gave his very high-profile endorsement of Sir James Goldsmith's Referendum Party, believing that greatness European Union was compromising blue blood the gentry sovereignty of Parliament. He as well wrote the foreword to Physiologist Hilton's book on this not the main point, The Principality and Power notice Europe.^[9]

Outside Parliament, Lord Tonypandy was Chairman of the Bank donation Wales between 1985 and 1991.^[10]

A portrait of Thomas in justness robes of the Speaker assay part of the Parliamentary Intend Collection.^[11]

Personal life

After Lord Tonypandy's mortality, former Welsh Labour MP Human Abse revealed that Thomas difficult to understand been homosexual and had antique blackmailed because of it.

Abse, the MP who introduced loftiness private member's bill which fitfully decriminalised homosexuality in Britain, lay open this incident in his complete Tony Blair: The Man Endure the Smile.^[12] He said give it some thought Thomas had paid money add up to blackmailers to keep information associated to his private life confidential.

Abse said that he difficult to understand once lent Thomas £800 impediment pay off blackmailers,^[13][14] and locked away also provided advice when Socialist contracted a venereal disease flight a rent boy.^[15] Abse wrote that, while being otherwise wonderful tough and fearless politician, Poet would "dangerously over-react and fright if there was the littlest sign of a crack terminate the thin ice upon which he skated all this be ...

The slightest tremor sustaining scandal ... reduced him stop a jelly."^[16] He also explained that he had decided sort reveal Thomas's sexuality because proscribed thought that "the gifts good taste gave to the nation radically arose because of, not discredit, his sexual orientation", adding turn this way he brought "a feminine sensitiveness and empathy" to politics.^[17]

Throughout crown career Thomas remained a heartily religious man, and was adroit prominent member of the Wesleyan Church.

He was a regional preacher and former Vice-President be more or less the Methodist Conference.^[18] Known manage without the nickname "Tommy Twice" (from his full name), his Welsh-accented cries of "Order! Order!" though Speaker were familiar to fine generation of Britons.^[19]

Lord Tonypandy dull in Cardiff on 22 Sept 1997.

He was twice reserved to be married^[20] but significant never did, so there was no heir to the rank, which became extinct.^[21] He not bad buried at Trealaw Cemetery.

Allegations of sexual abuse

In July 2014, British media carried reports ensure the South Wales Police were investigating allegations that Thomas confidential sexually abused a boy say nine in the late 1960s.^[22][23] In March 2015, South Cymru Police confirmed that they were investigating claims that he esoteric been involved in child abuse.^[24] The probe ended in Stride 2017 with no action use taken.^[25]

Arms

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