Goronwy Roberts

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Goronwy Owen Goronwy-Roberts, Baron Goronwy-Roberts PC, MA (20 September 1913 – 23 July 1981) was the younger son of E. E. and Amelia Roberts from Bethesda, Caernarvonshire. He was educated at the University of Wales and the University of London and appointed a Fellow of the University of Wales in 1938.

He was Labour Member of Parliament for Caernarvonshire from 1945-50 and for Caernarvon from 1950 until February 1974, when he lost his seat to Dafydd Wigley of Plaid Cymru. Since then, no Labour candidate has won the seat. He was a Member of the House of Commons Panel of Chairmen in 1963-64, and served in government as Minister of State at the Welsh Office from 1964-66, Minister of State, Education and Science from 1966-67, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 1967-69, Minister of State for Trade 1969-70. When Labour lost power in 1970, Roberts became an opposition spokesman on Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

On his retirement from the House of Commons he was created a life peer as Baron Goronwy-Roberts, of Caernarvon and of Ogwen in the County of Caernarvon. He returned to government as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 1974-75, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. He was Deputy Leader of the House of Lords, 1975-79.

He was a Member of the Court of Governors of University College of Wales, Aberystwyth and of the National Museum of Wales, and of the Fabian Society. He was appointed a FRSA in 1968 and an Honorary Freeman of the Royal Borough of Caernarvon in 1972.

He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1968.

[edit] References

• Times Guide to the House of Commons February 1974
• Who Was Who
• This page incorporates information from Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page.