John Morris, Baron Morris of Aberavon, (born 5 November 1931) is a British politician. He was a Labour Party Member of Parliament for over 41 years, from 1959 to 2001, which included a period as

Secretary of State for Wales The secretary of state for Wales ( cy, ysgrifennydd gwladol Cymru), also referred to as the Welsh secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Wales Office. The incumbent is a member ...

from 1974 to 1979 and as Attorney General between 1997 and 1999. He is the only living former Labour MP who was first elected in the 1950s. He is also the last surviving member of Harold Wilson's 1974–76 cabinet, and is the current longest-serving

Privy Counsellor The Privy Council (PC), officially His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its membership mainly comprises senior politicians who are current or former members of ei ...

. His combined parliamentary service has totalled over 60 years.

Background and education

Morris was born in

Capel Bangor Capel Bangor ( cy, Penllwyn) is a small village in Ceredigion, Wales, approximately east of Aberystwyth. The A44 road and the seasonal Vale of Rheidol Railway pass through. In the 2011 census, the population was 256, with 63% born in Wales. ...

, Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire. He was educated at Ardwyn School, the

University College of Wales, Aberystwyth , mottoeng = A world without knowledge is no world at all , established = 1872 (as ''The University College of Wales'') , former_names = University of Wales, Aberystwyth , type = Public , endowment = ...

, and

Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Gonville and Caius College, often referred to simply as Caius ( ), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1348, it is the fourth-oldest of the University of Cambridge's 31 colleges and one of t ...

Professional career

Morris was a barrister and was called to the Bar by

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and W ...

in 1954. He practised at 2 Bedford Row Chambers, took silk in 1973 and was made a

Bencher A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher ca ...

in 1984. Between 1982 and 1997, he was a Recorder of the Crown Court.

Political career

Morris represented

Aberavon Aberavon ( cy, Aberafan) is a town and community in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales. The town derived its name from being near the mouth of the river Afan, which also gave its name to a medieval lordship. Today it is essentially a distr ...

as its Labour MP from 1959 onwards, and was the longest serving Welsh MP in Parliament, until his retirement in 2001, when he was succeeded by

Hywel Francis David Hywel Francis (6 June 1946 – 14 February 2021) was a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Aberavon from 2001 to 2015. A member of the Labour Party, he chaired the Welsh Affairs Committee from 2005 to 2010 a ...

. According to '' The Almanac of British Politics'', Morris was a "moderate" Labour MP. Morris served as

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (or just Parliamentary Secretary, particularly in departments not led by a Secretary of State) is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the UK government, immediately junior to a Minister ...

at the Ministry of Power and the

Ministry of Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government ag ...

, and

Minister of State Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In ...

at the Ministry of Defence. Having been sworn of the Privy Council in the

1970 Birthday Honours The 1970 Queen's Birthday Honours were appointments to orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms to reward and highlight citizens' good works, on the occasion of the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. They were announced in suppleme ...

, Morris joined the Cabinet as

between 5 March 1974 and 4 May 1979 and returned to Government as the

Attorney General for England and Wales His Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales is one of the law officers of the Crown and the principal legal adviser to sovereign and Government in affairs pertaining to England and Wales. The attorney general maintains the Attorney G ...

and

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

between 1997 and 1999, having shadowed the role since 1983. As such, he was one of only a small handful of Labour ministers to hold office under Harold Wilson, James Callaghan and

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...

Other positions held

Lord Morris has been Chancellor of the

University of South Wales The University of South Wales ( cy, Prifysgol De Cymru) is a public university in Wales, with campuses in Cardiff, Newport and Pontypridd. It was formed on 11 April 2013 from the merger of the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wa ...

since its formation in 2013. The University of South Wales was formed by a merger between

University of Glamorgan , image_name = University of Glamorgan arms.png , image_size = 220px , caption = University of Glamorgan coat of arms , motto = Success Through Endeavour , established = , closed = , administrative_staff = , chancellor = John Morris ...

(where Lord Morris was Chancellor since 2002) and the

University of Wales, Newport The University of Wales, Newport ( cy, Prifysgol Cymru, Casnewydd), was a university based in Newport, South Wales, before the merger that formed the University of South Wales in April 2013. The university had two campuses in Newport, Caerle ...

. He succeeded fellow Labour politician Lord Merlyn-Rees as the Chancellor for the University of Glamorgan. Lord Morris was President of the London Welsh Trust, which runs the

London Welsh Centre The London Welsh Centre ( cy, Canolfan Cymry Llundain) (founded as the Young Wales Association in 1920) is a community and arts centre on Gray's Inn Road, in the London Borough of Camden. The centre is owned and run by the London Welsh Trust. T ...

Gray's Inn Road Gray's Inn Road (or Grays Inn Road) is an important road in the Bloomsbury district of Central London, in the London Borough of Camden. The road begins at the City of London boundary, where it bisects High Holborn, and ends at King's Cross and ...

, from 2001 until 2008. He is also a council member of

The Prince's Trust The Prince's Trust ( cy, Ymddiriedolaeth y Tywysog) is a charity in the United Kingdom founded in 1976 by King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. It supports 11-to-30-year-olds who are u ...

Honours

Morris was raised to the peerage for life as Baron Morris of Aberavon, of Aberavon in the County of

West Glamorgan , HQ= County Hall, Swansea , Government= West Glamorgan County Council (abolished 1996) , Status= , Start= 1974 , End= 1996 , Arms= ''Coat of arms of Wes ...

and of Ceredigion in the County of

Dyfed Dyfed () is a preserved county in southwestern Wales. It is a mostly rural area with a coastline on the Irish Sea and the Bristol Channel. Between 1974 and 1996, Dyfed was also the name of the area's county council and the name remains in use f ...

in the 2001 Dissolution Honours, was made

Lord Lieutenant of Dyfed This is a list of the people who have served in the office of Lord Lieutenant of Dyfed, as created on 1 April 1974 in replacement of the former offices of Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire, Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire, and Lord Lieutenant ...

a year later and was appointed to the Order of the Garter as a Knight Companion (KG) in 2003.

Arms

References

External links

Profile on the University of Glamorgan websiteDowning Street press notice September 2002They Work for You.com
, - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, John 1931 births Alumni of Aberystwyth University Alumni of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staff-sponsored MPs Attorneys General for England and Wales Attorneys General for Northern Ireland British Secretaries of State Welsh King's Counsel Chancellors of the University of Glamorgan Knights of the Garter Welsh Labour Party MPs Labour Party (UK) life peers Living people Lord-Lieutenants of Dyfed Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Northern Ireland Government ministers People educated at Ardwyn School, Aberystwyth Politics of Neath Port Talbot Secretaries of State for Wales Welsh barristers UK MPs 1959–1964 UK MPs 1964–1966 UK MPs 1966–1970 UK MPs 1970–1974 UK MPs 1974 UK MPs 1974–1979 UK MPs 1979–1983 UK MPs 1983–1987 UK MPs 1987–1992 UK MPs 1992–1997 UK MPs 1997–2001 Ministers in the Wilson governments, 1964–1970 Life peers created by Elizabeth II