Key Highlights :
The death of Lord Morris of Aberavon, Wales' longest-serving MP, has sparked an outpouring of tributes from those who knew and respected him. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said he had lived a life of “exemplary public service”, while BBC presenter Huw Edwards described him as “one of the most distinguished Welshmen of his time”. Lord Morris represented Aberavon for 41 years, from 1959 to 2001, and was Welsh Secretary from 1974 to 1979 under Harold Wilson and Jim Callaghan.
Lord Morris first entered government in 1964 in the Wilson administration, as a junior minister in the Ministry of Power and Ministry of Transport. In 1968, he became minister of state for defence equipment during the Nigerian civil war. In 1974, when Labour returned to power after nearly four years in opposition, he was appointed Welsh secretary and had the task of taking the party's ill-fated original devolution legislation through a hostile House of Commons.
Unfortunately, the 1979 referendum on devolution resulted in an emphatic ‘no’ vote of nearly 80%. On hearing the results, Lord Morris famously said: “When you see an elephant on the doorstep you can't ignore it”.
After Labour's landslide victory in 1997, Sir Tony Blair appointed the barrister as attorney general, a post he held for two years at the time of the Kosovo conflict. The former prime minister said: “John Morris lived a life of exemplary public service. His extraordinary career, being a minister under three different Labour leaders, was unprecedented. But the reason prime ministers like myself chose him so regularly was because of his character and demeanour. He was immensely capable, could always be relied upon and never deviated from having the interests of the country at heart.”
Welsh health minister Eluned Morgan said she was “very sad” to hear of his death and noted that he was “the last living member of Harold Wilson's cabinet”.
Lord Morris of Aberavon was a respected figure and a dedicated public servant. His life of service and dedication to the people of Wales will not be forgotten. He will be remembered as an influential figure in the history of the country and an example of what it means to serve the public with distinction.