Gwilym Roberts

Gwilym Edffrwd Roberts (7 August 1928 – 15 March 2018) was a British Labour Party politician,^[1] who was Member of Parliament for South Bedfordshire from 1966 to 1970, and for Cannock from February 1974 to 1983.

Gwilym Roberts
Member of Parliament for Cannock
In office 28 February 1974 – 13 May 1983
Preceded by	Patrick Cormack
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Member of Parliament for South Bedfordshire
In office 31 March 1966 – 29 May 1970
Preceded by	Norman Cole
Succeeded by	David Madel
Personal details
Born	Gwilym Edffrwd Roberts (1928-08-07)7 August 1928
Died	15 March 2018(2018-03-15) (aged 89)
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Mair Griffiths ​ (m. 1954)​
Education	Brynrefail Grammar School
Alma mater	University of Wales

Early life

Roberts was educated at Brynrefail Grammar School and the University of Wales. He was a lecturer in scientific management techniques and served as a councillor on Luton Borough Council from 1965. He married Mair Griffiths in 1954.^[2]

Parliamentary career

Roberts contested Ormskirk in 1959 and Conway in 1964. He was Member of Parliament for South Bedfordshire from 1966 to 1970, and for Cannock from February 1974 to 1983. Boundary changes that year changed his seat to Cannock and Burntwood, but he lost it in Labour's landslide defeat to the Conservative Gerald Howarth. He stood again in that constituency in 1987, but Howarth increased his majority.

After Parliament

Following his Westminster defeat he resumed his career in local government, serving as leader of Cannock Chase District Council, where he represented the Rugeley ward of Brereton and Ravenhill until losing his seat in 2002. He served as a Labour councillor on Staffordshire County Council, representing the Brereton and Ravenhill division, which incorporates a slightly larger area than the district council ward of the same name. He retired from membership of the County Council in 2010.

He continued to live in Rugeley with his wife until his death in 2018.^[3][2]

References

1. Benn, Tony (2013). Conflicts of Interest: Diaries 1977-80. Random House. p. 18. ISBN 9781448165117.
2. Julia Langdon (17 April 2018). "Gwilym Roberts obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
3. Well respected former MP and councillor dies

Sources

• Times Guide to the House of Commons, 1966 & 1983
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Gwilym Roberts

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Norman Cole	Member of Parliament for South Bedfordshire 1966–1970	Succeeded by David Madel
Preceded by Patrick Cormack	Member of Parliament for Cannock 1974–1983	Constituency abolished (see Cannock & Burntwood)