Sir Robert John Thomas, 1st Baronet (23 April 1873 – 27 September 1951) was a
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
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* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
businessman and
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
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politician, who was twice elected to
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
.
Thomas was a ship and insurance broker. In 1918 he was created a Baronet, of
Garreglwyd in the County of Anglesey.
Politics
He was elected at the
1918 general election as the
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) for the new constituency of
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
. Standing as a Liberal, with the official backing of the David Lloyd George led Coalition Government, he faced only a
Labour Party opponent and won 76% of the votes.
At the
1922 general election he stood as a
National Liberal Party candidate for
Anglesey
Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...
, losing by a margin of 9% to the sitting Labour MP
Sir Owen Thomas.
However, Owen Thomas died in January 1923, and at the resulting
by-election in April Robert Thomas won a 3-way contest with 53% of the votes, and a 23% majority over the second-placed Labour candidate.
[F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949; Political Reference Publications, Glasgow 1949]
He was returned unopposed at the
general election in December 1923. He was returned by a majority of 28% over his Labour opponent at the
election in 1924.
He stood down from Parliament at the
1929 general election.
Arms
References
Further reading
* Richards, Emlyn. ''Syr Robert John Thomas, y Garreglwyd'' (Sir Ifor Williams Memorial lecture.) Given in Anglesey, 31 October 1997
External links
*
Liberal Party (UK) MPs for Welsh constituencies
1873 births
1951 deaths
Thomas, Robert, 1st Baronet
UK MPs 1918–1922
UK MPs 1923–1924
UK MPs 1924–1929
Welsh businesspeople in shipping
National Liberal Party (UK, 1922) politicians
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