Elfyn Llwyd

Last updated

In August 2004 Llwyd joined Adam Price in a campaign to impeach then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair over the alleged misleading of the UK Parliament and for allegedly making a secret agreement with then US President George W. Bush to overthrow Saddam Hussein, amongst other charges. [12] Llwyd and then Scottish National Party (SNP) group leader Alex Salmond co-drafted the motion.

Impeachment had not been used in the UK for one hundred and fifty years. If successful, it could have seen Blair tried before the House of Lords; however, as expected, the measure failed. [12]

Llwyd had told the Guardian Unlimited that "leading the debate on the unlawfulness of the attack on Iraq - in particular opening a debate calling for the disclosure of the attorney general's opinion in full in March 2004," was his proudest moment. [6]

In November 2005, the campaign announced a new motion (this time with the support of the Liberal Democrats) asking for a Commons committee to examine the conduct of ministers before and after the war. The campaign tabled an Early Day Motion Archived 14 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine :

"Conduct of Government Policy in relation to the war against Iraq"
"That this House believes that there should be a select committee of 7 Members, being members of Her Majesty's Privy Council, to review the way in which the responsibilities of Government were discharged in relation to Iraq and all matters relevant thereto, in the period leading up to military action in that country in March 2003 and in its aftermath".

The motion collected 151 signatures, including some Labour back-benchers.

By October 2006, Llwyd joined in a three-hour debate on an inquiry into the Iraq War, the first such debate in over two years. The SNP and Plaid Cymru motion proposing a committee of seven senior MPs to review "the way in which the responsibilities of government were discharged in relation to Iraq", was defeated by 298 votes to 273, a Government majority of 25, but was supported by a significant number of opposition MPs, and twelve "rebel" Labour MPs, including Glenda Jackson.

Despite the lack of debate on the original impeachment motion, Llwyd, Price, and others pledged to continue the impeachment campaign. However, with the resignation of Blair on 27 June 2007, the entire issue of impeachment may now be moot.

Cash-for-Honours Scandal

In March 2007 Elfyn Llwyd was one of three individuals who made complaints about the Labour Government under section 1 of the Honours Act 1925 to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. The other complainants were Angus MacNeill MP (Scottish National Party) and an individual who remains unidentified to this day. These three complaints [13] led to a police investigation headed by Assistant Commissioner John Yates. The whole affair was dubbed by some in the media the Cash for Honours scandal.

2007 Welsh Assembly election spending controversy

Following the 2007 Welsh Assembly elections, a UK parliamentary standards and privileges committee found Plaid MPs Llwyd, Adam Price and Hywel Williams guilty of improperly advertising during the elections. [14] Though the committee admitted the three did not break any clear rules of the UK House of Commons, the committee believed the timing of the adverts were planned to coincide with the Assembly elections. [14]

Parliamentary funds are available for MPs to communicate with constituents regularly. However, the committee found that the three used this communication allowance improperly as part of Plaid's campaigning during the elections as the adverts were placed in publications with a circulation outside of their respective constituencies. [14]

Of the committee findings, Llwyd said that they would comply with the findings of the committee, but that they had "...acted in good faith throughout, and fully in line with the advice that was offered to us by the DFA (Department of Finance and Administration) at the time of the publication of the reports". [14] The three had to repay the money, about five thousand pounds each, and report the costs as part of Plaid's election spending. [14]

Peerage call

At the Llandudno party conference 2007, Llwyd encouraged the party to nominate peers into the House of Lords, citing that Plaid peers would "help ensure planned legislation for Wales was not blocked at Westminster", adding that many in the Lords may want to prevent full law-making powers for Wales. [15] In January 2011, Dafydd Wigley joined Lord Elis-Thomas in the House of Lords.

In February 2024, Llwyd was controversially overlooked for a peerage in the 2024 Special Honours in favour of Carmen Smith. [16]

Related Research Articles

Plaid Cymru is a centre-left to left-wing, Welsh nationalist political party in Wales, committed to Welsh independence from the United Kingdom. It campaigns on a platform of social democracy and civic nationalism. The party is a strong supporter of the European Union and is a member of the European Free Alliance (EFA). The party holds 4 of 32 Welsh seats in the UK Parliament, 12 of 60 seats in the Senedd, and 202 of 1,231 principal local authority councillors. Plaid was formed in 1925 under the name Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru and Gwynfor Evans won the first Westminster seat for the party at the 1966 Carmarthen by-election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jill Evans</span> British politician and MEP

Jill Evans is a Plaid Cymru politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Wales from 1999 to 2020. She was the first person to use the Welsh language in debate at the European Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983–2010

Meirionnydd Nant Conwy was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Price</span> Welsh politician and former Plaid Cymru leader

Adam Robert Price is a Welsh politician who served as Leader of Plaid Cymru from September 2018 to May 2023. He has been the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr since 2016, having previously been a Member of Parliament (MP) for the same Westminster constituency from 2001 to 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dafydd Elis-Thomas</span> Welsh politician (born 1946)

Dafydd Elis Elis-Thomas, Baron Elis-Thomas,, is a Welsh politician who served as the leader of Plaid Cymru from 1984 to 1991 and represented the Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency in the Senedd from 1999 to 2021.

In November 2004, a cross-party group of British members of parliament tabled a motion in the House of Commons to impeach the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at the time, Tony Blair for "high crimes and misdemeanours". The motion was never debated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhodri Glyn Thomas</span> Welsh politician

Rhodri Glyn Thomas is a Welsh politician. He was the Plaid Cymru National Assembly for Wales Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr from 1999 to 2016, when he did not re-stand for election. Following his retirement from the Assembly he was appointed President of the National Library of Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwynedd Council</span> Local government authority in north-west Wales

Gwynedd Council, which calls itself by its Welsh name Cyngor Gwynedd, is the governing body for the county of Gwynedd, one of the principal areas of Wales. The council administrates internally using the Welsh language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Plaid Cymru</span> Aspect of Welsh political history

Plaid Cymru originated in 1925 after a meeting held at that year's National Eisteddfod in Pwllheli, Caernarfonshire. Representatives from two Welsh nationalist groups founded the previous year, Byddin Ymreolwyr Cymru and Y Mudiad Cymreig, agreed to meet and discuss the need for a "Welsh party". The party was founded as Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru, the National Party of Wales, and attracted members from the left, right and centre of the political spectrum, including both monarchists and republicans. Its principal aims include the promotion of the Welsh language and the political independence of the Welsh nation.

The history of the Welsh language spans over 1400 years, encompassing the stages of the language known as Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh.

House prices increased in Wales during the Housing market crisis in the United Kingdom (2008). There has been political debate that this has contributed to a decline in the number of speakers of the Welsh language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Edwards (Welsh politician)</span> Welsh independent politician

David Jonathan Edwards is a Welsh politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr from 2010 to 2024. Initially elected as a Plaid Cymru MP, he is the longest serving MP in the Carmarthen, having served for 14 years. He sat as an Independent MP after the party's disciplinary panel suspended him in 2020. His membership of Plaid was restored in July 2022, and the whip was returned the following month although following further revelations he stated that he would not rejoin the Plaid group of MPs at Westminster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 National Assembly for Wales election</span>

The 2007 National Assembly for Wales election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the National Assembly for Wales. It was the third general election. On the same day local elections in England and Scotland, as well as the Scottish Parliament election took place. This election was preceded by the previous Assembly election in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 United Kingdom general election in Wales</span>

These are the results of the 2005 United Kingdom general election in Wales. The election was held on 5 May 2005 and all 40 seats in Wales were contested.

Glyn Tegai Hughes was a Welsh scholar, writer and literary critic. He was a Liberal Party politician and Welsh nationalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liz Saville Roberts</span> Welsh politician (born 1964)

Elizabeth Saville Roberts is a Welsh Plaid Cymru politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dwyfor Meirionnydd since 2015. She has served as the group leader of Plaid Cymru in the House of Commons since 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 Plaid Cymru leadership election</span> Plaid Cymru leadership election

The 2003 Plaid Cymru leadership election was held following the resignation of Ieuan Wyn Jones after a disappointing showing in the 2003 Assembly elections where the party fell from 17 to 12 seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmen Smith, Baroness Smith of Llanfaes</span> British politician (born 1996)

Carmen Ria Smith, Baroness Smith of Llanfaes, is a Welsh politician. She has been a member of the House of Lords for Plaid Cymru since 2024.

References

  1. ↑ "A quiet life on the fringes of power". 2 May 2005.
  2. ↑ "Elfyn Llwyd takes up honorary role as Pro-Chancellor of Aberystwyth University". Aberystwyth University. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Elfyn Llwyd: Electoral history and profile". The Guardian.
  4. 1 2 3 "Plaid Cymru website". 23 September 2007. Archived from the original on 25 October 2007.
  5. ↑ "Episode 3: Christmas 2013". bbc.co.uk. 23 December 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  6. 1 2 "Elfyn Llwyd: Ask Aristotle". The Guardian. London. 4 April 2005. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  7. ↑ "Plaid bids to defuse 'racism' row". BBC Wales. 21 February 2001.
  8. 1 2 "Controls on second homes reviewed". BBC News. 5 September 2001. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
  9. ↑ "'Racist' remarks lost Plaid votes". BBC. 3 September 2001. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  10. ↑ "Apology over 'insults' to English". BBC Wales. 3 September 2001.
  11. ↑ "Park to ban new holiday homes". BBC News. 6 March 2002. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
  12. 1 2 "Blair impeachment campaign starts". BBC News. 27 August 2004.
  13. ↑ "TIMELINE - Cash-for-honours investigation". Reuters. 20 July 2007. Archived from the original on 15 January 2016.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "MPs' adverts broke election rules". BBC News. 19 November 2007. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
  15. ↑ "Wigley accepts Plaid peerage call". BBC News. 14 January 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2008.
  16. ↑ Mansfield, Mark (5 December 2023). "Plaid Cymru row over House of Lords nominations". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
The Right Honourable
Elfyn Llwyd
Elfyn Llwyd MP.jpg
Llwyd in 2014
Member of Parliament
for Dwyfor Meirionnydd
Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (1992–2010)
In office
9 April 1992 –30 March 2015
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy
1992–2010		Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for Dwyfor Meirionnydd
2010–2015		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.