Gwilym Lloyd George

Gwilym Lloyd-George, 1st Viscount Tenby,

from 1954 to 1957.

Background, education and military service

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Born at Criccieth in North Wales, Lloyd George was the second son of Liberal Prime Minister David Lloyd George and his first wife, Margaret, daughter of Richard Owen. His sister Megan was also active in politics, but the two moved in opposite political directions – Gwilym to the right, towards the Conservatives, and Megan to the left, eventually joining the Labour Party.

Educated at

Early political career 1922–45

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Leaving the army in 1918, Lloyd George found employment working with his father in the post war coalition government. This also included being a trustee for David Lloyd George's National Liberal Political Fund.

Lloyd George was Member of Parliament (MP) for

Following the 1945 general election in which he stood as a National Liberal and Conservative, and was returned by a majority of 168, Lloyd George was approached by the Liberal Party and its rival the Liberal National Party^[3] to chair their respective political organisations. Lloyd George turned them both down. Winston Churchill offered him a position in the Conservative Party's Shadow cabinet but was allowed to remain as a 'Liberal'. In 1946 Lloyd-George formally lost the Liberal Party whip.^[4]

From this point onwards he did not associate with his erstwhile Liberal colleagues (who included his sister Lady Megan) and he was openly supported by Conservatives in his constituency. In early January 1950 he was publicly disowned by the Liberal Party for supporting Conservative candidates in constituencies contested by a Liberal candidate.^[4]

Lloyd-George lost his seat (standing again as a National Liberal and Conservative) in the 1950 general election. The Liberal Party did not field a candidate against him but this time Lloyd George lost to a Labour Party candidate Desmond Donnelly by 129 votes.^[4] His career in Welsh politics at an end, a year later Lloyd-George returned to parliament as a National Liberal for Newcastle upon Tyne North in the 1951 general election. His candidature was backed by Churchill although disgruntled Conservatives in the local party supported an independent against Lloyd George.^{[citation needed]}

Returning to office, Prime Minister

In 1955, during his time as Home Secretary, he had refused to commute the death sentence imposed on Ruth Ellis; she was the last woman to be executed in the UK.^{[citation needed]}

Family

Lloyd George married Edna Gwenfron, daughter of David Jones, in 1921. They had two children: David Lloyd George, 2nd Viscount Tenby (1922–1983), and William Lloyd George, 3rd Viscount Tenby (1927–2023). He died aged 72, and was succeeded by his eldest son, David.

Lady Tenby died in 1971.

References

Sources

• Jones, J. Graham (June 1993). "The Liberal Party and Wales, 1945–79" (PDF).
  Welsh History Review
  . 16 (3): 326–55. Retrieved 24 January 2017.

Further reading

• Sweeting, Andrew (1998). "Gwilym Lloyd-George (Viscount Tenby) 1894-1967". In Brack, Duncan; et al. (eds.). Dictionary of Liberal Biography. London: Politico's Publishing. pp. 228–230.
  ISBN 1902301099
  .
• Jones, J. Graham (Winter 1999–2000). "A breach in the family" (PDF). Journal of Liberal Democrat History (25). Liberal Democrat History Group: 34–39.
• doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/34571. (Subscription or UK public library membership
  required.)

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Viscount Tenby
• David Lloyd George Exhibition, National Library of Wales