Dafydd Wigley

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Dafydd Wigley (born 1 April 1943) is a Welsh politician. He served as Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament for Caernarfon until 2001, and was leader of the party from 1991 to 2000.

Wigley was born in Derby, England, but attended Caernarfon grammar school before going on to the University of Manchester and training as an accountant. He was employed by Hoover as a financial controller before entering parliament.

He married the international harpist Elinor Bennett. The couple had four children, but twin sons died of a genetic illness. His sons' condition influenced the direction of his career, and he took a strong interest in the affairs of disabled people, being vice-chair of the Parliamentary all-party disablement group, vice-president of Disability Wales, vice-president of Mencap (Wales), former president of the Spastics' Society of Wales and sponsor of the Disabled Persons Act in 1981.

In 1974 he became one of Plaid Cymru's first three MPs to be elected at a General Election, and first became the party's president in 1981. Gwynfor Evans had led Plaid Cymru since 1945, but resigned after the devastating defeat of the Yes Campaign in the devolution referendum of 1979. It was naturally assumed that either Wigley or Dafydd Elis Thomas would succeed him as president.

The election for president was seen as instrumental in deciding the future direction of the Plaid Cymru. Although wigley has described his own politics as right-wing, he represented a moderate, pragmatic social-democracy, in sharp contrast with rival candidate Dafydd Elis Thomas' far-left socialism. Wigley's triumph in 1981 was largely a pyrrhic victory - he won the presidency, but Elis Thomas would have a greater influence over the party's ideology throughout the 80s. In 1984 Wigley resigned from the presidency because of his children's health, but returned to the job in 1991 after the resignation of Dafydd Elis Thomas.

In 1977 Dafydd Wigley in Parliament asked the Attorney General for England and Wales if he would provide the date upon which enactments of the Charter of Pardon of 1508 were rescinded. (Concerning the Cornish Stannary Parliament).The reply, received on 14 May 1977, stated that a Stannator's right to veto Westminster legislation had never been formally withdrawn. ^[1]

In 1999 Wigley became a member of the National Assembly for Wales, and led the Plaid Cymru opposition to Labour, before his resignation from the leadership, officially on medical advice but amid rumours of an internal plot against him in 2000. In 2003 he became Pro-Chancellor of the University of Wales. In 2006 he sought and secured nomination to the Welsh Assembly through Plaid Cymru's North Wales list.

[edit] External links

• The Right Honourable Dafydd Wigley – University of Wales

[edit] References

1. ^ 14th May 1977 - Cornwall Council - Stannator's right to veto Westminster legislation had never been formally withdrawn.

Political offices
Preceded by Gwynfor Evans	President of Plaid Cymru 1981–1984	Succeeded by Dafydd Elis Thomas
Preceded by Dafydd Elis Thomas	President of Plaid Cymru 1991–2000	Succeeded by Ieuan Wyn Jones
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by (new constituency)	Member of Parliament for Caernarfon 1974–2001	Succeeded by Hywel Williams
National Assembly for Wales
Preceded by (new post)	Assembly Member for Caernarfon 1999–2003	Succeeded by Alun Ffred Jones

Persondata
NAME	Wigley, Dafydd
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Welsh politician; former MP, Assembly Member and leader of Plaid Cymru
DATE OF BIRTH	1 April 1943
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH