John Morris, Baron Morris of Aberavon

Morris was born in Capel Bangor, Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire, on 5 November 1931.[5] He was educated at the Ardwyn School, the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.[1] During the course of his national service, he was stationed with the Royal Welch Fusiliers, the Welch Regiment, and the South Wales Borderers.[6]

In 1959, Morris married Margaret Lewis, and they had three daughters.[6]

Morris was a barrister and was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1954.[6] He served as a legal adviser and deputy general secretary for the Farmers' Union of Wales.[6] He practised at 2 Bedford Row Chambers, took silk in 1973, and was made a Bencher of Gray's Inn in 1985.[6] Between 1982 and 1997, he was a Recorder of the Crown Court.[5]

Morris represented Aberavon as its Labour MP from 1959 onwards, and subsequently became the longest serving Welsh MP in Parliament, until his retirement in 2001.[4] According to The Almanac of British Politics, Morris was a "moderate" Labour MP.[7]

Morris served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Transport, and Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence.[6] Having been sworn of the Privy Council in the 1970 Birthday Honours,[8] Morris joined the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Wales between 5 March 1974 and 4 May 1979 and returned to Government as the Attorney General for England and Wales and Northern Ireland 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.[9]

Lord Morris was the Chancellor of the University of South Wales from the time of its formation in 2013. The University of South Wales was formed by a merger between University of Glamorgan (where Lord Morris was Chancellor from 2002) and the University of Wales, Newport. 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, Gray's Inn Road, from 2001 until 2008.[10] He was also a council member of The Prince's Trust.[9]

His memoir, Fifty Years in Politics and the Law, was published in 2011.[11]

At the death of Robert Lindsay, 29th Earl of Crawford on 18 March 2023, Morris and Stratton Mills became the surviving former MPs with the earliest date of first election, both having first entered Parliament at the 1959 general election.[4]

Morris died on 5 June 2023, at the age of 91.[4][6][12]

Morris was raised to the peerage for life as Baron Morris of Aberavon, of Aberavon in the County of West Glamorgan and of Ceredigion in the County of Dyfed in the 2001 Dissolution Honours,[13][14] was made Lord Lieutenant of Dyfed a year later[15] and was appointed to the Order of the Garter as a Knight Companion (KG) in 2003.[16]

Arms

Coat of arms of John Morris, Baron Morris of Aberavon

Notes Life peer as Baron since 2001 Coronet A coronet of a Baron Crest A bull passant Sable armed and unguled Or with a palewise book Argent upon other Sable. Torse Mantling Argent and Sable. Escutcheon Sable a Portcullis Or, over all three swords palewise proper headed Or. Motto BID BEN BID BONT Welsh: He who would a leader be, be a bridge Orders The Order of the Garter circlet.[17][18][19][20] Banner The banner of the Baron Morris of Aberavon's arms used as knight of the Garter depicted at St George's Chapel.

• Profile on the University of Glamorgan website
• Downing Street press notice September 2002
• They Work for You.com
• Portraits of John Morris, Baron Morris of Aberavon at the National Portrait Gallery, London