Former Plaid Cymru leader Dafydd Elis-Thomas dies aged 78
Lord Elis-Thomas died at home on Friday morning following a ‘short illness’, his family has announced.
Dafydd Elis-Thomas, the former leader of Plaid Cymru, has died aged 78, his family has announced.
Lord Elis-Thomas, who led Plaid between 1984 and 1991, died on Friday morning following a “short illness”.
In a short statement, Lord Elis-Thomas’ family said he died “peacefully at his home” and requested privacy at this time.
He represented the Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency from the founding of the National Assembly – now Senedd – between 1999 to 2021 and was the first presiding officer.
He was also the MP for Meirionydd and then Meirionydd Nant Conwy between 1974 and 1992, before being appointed to the House of Lords in 1992.
He left Plaid in 2016 and sat as an independent, serving in both Carwyn Jones’ and Mark Drakeford’s governments as minister for culture, sport and tourism, until he stood down from frontline politics in 2021.
Rhun ap Iorwerth, the leader of Plaid Cymru, led the tributes to Lord Elis-Thomas.
He said: “Dafydd’s passing will be a huge loss to Welsh politics and the civic life of Wales.
“He was unquestionably one of the most influential figures of his generation, and as the presiding officer of the First Assembly made a priceless contribution in laying the firm foundations of devolution.
“We remember Dafydd as a groundbreaking MP when he became the youngest member of the 1974 UK Parliament before leading Plaid Cymru with passion and distinction.
“Dafydd was a personal friend to my family and I, and was an influential figure during my formative years.
“His love for our nation, its language and culture was unwavering.
“On behalf of Plaid Cymru, I extend our sincerest condolences to Dafydd’s family.”
Eluned Morgan, the First Minister, said Wales had lost “one of its greatest servants”, describing Lord Elis-Thomas as an “irreplaceable friend”.
“Dafydd was a true giant of Welsh politics and a passionate champion of our nation, our language, and our culture,” she said.
“From his groundbreaking role as the first presiding officer of the National Assembly for Wales to his services in both Houses of Parliament, he helped shape the Wales we know today.”
She said Lord Elis-Thomas had been an inspiration to her from her earliest days in politics, having worked with him in the Senedd, Welsh government and House of Lords.
“Our nation is immeasurably richer for his lifetime of service, and his vision of a proud, confident, and culturally vibrant Wales will continue to inspire generations to come,” Baroness Morgan added.
Elin Jones, the Welsh Parliament’s Llywydd (presiding officer), said it was hard to imagine Welsh political life without Lord Elis-Thomas, calling him the Senedd’s “founding father”.
“Since the early 1970s he has been omnipresent, having served in the House of Commons, the House of Lords and our Senedd,” she said.
“As the Senedd’s first presiding officer, he was keen to establish a modern democracy from the start, learning from other parliaments what to do and what not to do.
“He became the keeper of the Welsh constitution but was always prepared to think outside the box.
“He can rightly be called our Senedd’s founding father. We mourn his loss and hold his family and friends in our thoughts and prayers.”
The leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Darren Millar, described Lord Elis-Thomas as a “titan of Welsh politics”.
“No-one could ever argue that he didn’t have a deep love for Wales and Welsh people,” he said.
Andrew RT Davies, Mr Millar’s predecessor, said he was “deeply saddened” to hear of Lord Elis-Thomas’ death.
“I always enjoyed working with Dafydd, a man who was never afraid to speak his mind,” he said.
“He was always forthright and robust when expressing his views, and for that I admired him strongly.”
