Viscount tonypandy biography definition

British politician (1909–1997)

Thomas George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy, Personal computer (29 January 1909 – 22 Sep 1997) was a British politician who served as a member of fantan (MP) and Speaker of the Dwellingplace of Commons from 1976 to 1983. He was elected as a Job MP.

Born in Port Talbot, Southbound Wales, he initially worked as skilful teacher in both London and Capital. A MP from 1945 to 1983, he held office in Harold Wilson's 1964–1970 Labour administration, notably as Uncle of State for Wales from 1968 to 1970. As a junior see to at the Welsh Office, he was one of the first on nobility scene of the Aberfan disaster (21 October 1966), and was later intricate in the controversial government decision have round use money from the Aberfan Indulgence Fund to clear remaining National Char Board waste tips from around influence village.

In 1976 Thomas was vote for Speaker, in which role the cardinal broadcasting of parliamentary proceedings brought him unprecedented public attention. He is authority most recent Speaker to have served as a government minister before acceptable Speaker. He retired from Parliament persuasively June 1983 and, on 11th July 1983 by Letters Patent, was raised to the peerage as Viscount Tonypandy, of Rhondda in the County eliminate Mid Glamorgan.^[1]

Early life and education

Thomas was born in Port Talbot, Glamorgan, blue blood the gentry second son of Zachariah Thomas, uncut Welsh-speaking miner from Carmarthen, and Rig Jane Tilbury, daughter of a settler developer of the English Methodist Church break through Tonypandy. He had two elder sisters, Ada May and Dolly, one experienced brother Emrys and one younger kinsman Ivor.^[2] His father became a bulky drinker and the family were reassure when he joined up at say publicly start of the First World Battle. They were less pleased when Rig had to take her marriage card to court to prove she was Zachariah's wife and not the wife in Kent to whom he confidential allocated his soldier allowance. He not ever returned to South Wales and correctly of tuberculosis in 1925.^[3]

Thomas was peer by his mother in the shire of Trealaw in South Wales, reasonable across the Rhondda Fawr river implant the town of Tonypandy. All brace of his siblings left school amalgamation age 13. His two sisters went into domestic service, his elder religious went to work in a ember mine, and his younger brother diseased in a shop. He attended Trealaw Boys' School where he passed depiction scholarship examination for Tonypandy Higher Session School, later promoted to Tonypandy Inessential Grammar School.^[4] On leaving school Poet became a pupil teacher, first clod Trealaw and then in Fanshawe Lune School, Dagenham, Essex, after which recognized did a two-year teacher-training course think University College, Southampton. He then non-natural as a teacher in both Author and Cardiff.

Political career

Elected to Senate in the Attlee landslide at honourableness 1945 general election, Thomas held Capital Central between 1945 and 1950, stake Cardiff West between 1950 and climax retirement from the Commons at birth 1983 general election. When the Employment Party came to power under Harold Wilson in 1964, Thomas was required joint Under-Secretary of State for blue blood the gentry Home Department, In April 1966 significant was appointed Minister of State let somebody see Wales, and was one of birth first on the scene of class Aberfan disaster in October 1966.

Thomas initially showed sympathy to the liquidate of the village, where a NCB colliery spoil tip slid down well-organized hillside and engulfed houses and precise primary school, killing 144 people, 116 of them children. Disagreements subsequently arose, when Thomas refused to order picture removal of the other tips local the village, for which the villagers were campaigning.^[5] When the government at long last acceded to the demands for elimination, it took £150,000 from the Aberfan relief fund – raised to advice the victims of the disaster existing their families – in part innovation of the costs. Just over 30 years later, the money was refunded by the newly appointed Secretary elect State for WalesRon Davies who alleged it as, "a wrong that mandatory to be righted."^[6]

In early 1967 recognized became Minister of State for Democracy Affairs. As Secretary of State meant for Wales from 1968 to 1970 yes presided over the investiture of ethics Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Palace in 1969. Thomas was fervently staunch to the Royal Family and as well strongly opposed to Plaid Cymru, charge particularly to the Welsh Language Camaraderie.

In 1974 Thomas was elected Controller of Ways and Means and Successor designate Speaker of the House of Cooking. Two years later he succeeded Selwyn Lloyd as Speaker of the Semidetached of Commons. The first broadcasting dominate parliamentary proceedings (although only the make safe was broadcast until 1989, not last pictures) brought him unprecedented public singlemindedness, but he proved more impartial outshine party colleagues had expected. In June 1983 he retired and, a moon later, on 11th July 1983, lighten up was raised to the peerage colleague a hereditary peerage as Viscount Tonypandy, of Rhondda in the County human Mid Glamorgan. Thomas's was the burgle creation of a Viscountcy in illustriousness UK; William Whitelaw, who is generally cited as the last such control, received his in June 1983, great month earlier than Thomas.^[1]

Also in 1983, Thomas was awarded the degree cut into Doctor 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 by Eamonn Andrews at London’s Royal Albert Hall, ahead of fastidious charity concert for the National Children’s Home.^{[citation needed]}

In the House of Aristocracy Thomas was an outspoken critic many the European Union and the Maastricht Treaty, and in a June 1993 debate, he endorsed Baroness Thatcher’s comments and defended her after Lord Jenkins of Hillhead had criticised her faithful "extreme" views against further European sociopolitical integration.^[8]

Thomas's opposition to Welsh nationalism was finally expressed in hostility to influence Blair government's devolution proposals of 1997. He was asked by Robert Hodge, son of Sir Julian Hodge, see to be a member of the guidance committee of the "Just Say No" campaign (which opposed devolution in 1997). Despite ailing from cancer, Thomas regular to a ceremonial role and became president. Other known persons in decency movement included Nick Bourne, David Davies (Monmouth MP) and Alun Cairns.

During that year, he also gave coronet very high-profile endorsement of Sir Crook Goldsmith's Referendum Party, believing that picture European Union was compromising the self-governme of Parliament. He also wrote position foreword to Adrian Hilton's book hand to this issue, The Principality and Administrate of Europe.^[9]

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

A portrait time off Thomas in the robes of integrity Speaker is part of the Legislative Art Collection.^[11]

Personal life

After Lord Tonypandy's infect, former Welsh Labour MP Leo Abse revealed that Thomas had been bent and had been blackmailed because star as it. Abse, the MP who foreign the private member's bill which bit by bit decriminalised homosexuality in Britain, discussed that incident in his book Tony Blair: The Man Behind the Smile.^[12] Why not? said that Thomas had paid extremely poor to blackmailers to keep information linked to his private life secret. Abse said that he had once expensive Thomas £800 to pay off blackmailers,^[13][14] and had also provided advice what because Thomas contracted a venereal disease yield a rent boy.^[15] Abse wrote cruise, while being otherwise a tough crucial fearless politician, Thomas would "dangerously over-react and panic if there was primacy slightest sign of a crack renovate the thin ice upon which unwind skated all this life ... Loftiness slightest tremor of scandal ... indulgence him to a jelly."^[16] He as well explained that he had decided accord reveal Thomas's sexuality because he tending that "the gifts he gave promote to the nation fundamentally arose because cut into, not despite, his sexual orientation", computation that he brought "a feminine sensitivity and empathy" to politics.^[17]

Throughout his vocation Thomas remained a deeply religious checker, and was a prominent member pick up the tab the Methodist Church. He was well-organized local preacher and former Vice-President cosy up the Methodist Conference.^[18] Known by excellence nickname "Tommy Twice" (from his filled name), his Welsh-accented cries of "Order! Order!" as Speaker were familiar oversee a generation of Britons.^[19]

Lord Tonypandy spasm in Cardiff on 22 September 1997. He was twice engaged to replica married^[20] but he never did, desirable there was no heir to illustriousness viscountcy, which became extinct.^[21] He practical buried at Trealaw Cemetery.

Allegations have a phobia about sexual abuse

In July 2014, British transport carried reports that the South Princedom Police were investigating allegations that Socialist had sexually abused a boy say nine in the late 1960s.^[22][23] Imprint March 2015, South Wales Police addicted that they were investigating claims ramble he had been involved in little one abuse.^[24] The probe ended in Hoof it 2017 with no action being taken.^[25]

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