MORRIS OF ABERAVON, Rt Hon Baron KG PC KC 1931-2023

[Richard R]

He was s of David William MORRIS of Penywern and as her 1^st  h Mary Olwen Ann EDWARDS. He m 1959 Margaret Meinir d of Edward LEWIS OBE of LLandysul, and had three daus.

He died on 5 June 2023:

The former Cabinet minister and Welsh Labour MP Lord Morris of Aberavon has died at the age of 91.

John Morris served in the cabinets of three Labour prime ministers - Harold Wilson, Jim Callaghan and Tony Blair.

A former Welsh secretary and attorney general, he became Wales' longest-serving MP after representing Aberavon for more than four decades, from 1959 to 2001.

Paying tribute to Lord Morris, Eluned Morgan, Welsh minister for health, said she was "very sad" to hear the news.

BBC broadcaster Huw Edwards described Lord Morris as "one of the most distinguished Welshmen of his time" and "one of the fathers of devolution"…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-65484126

[colinp]

Following the death of the Earl of Crawford in March Lord Morris became one of two surviving former MP's with the earliest date of first election having entered Parliament at the 1959 general election,  the other being Stratton Mills (UUP MP for Belfast North).  Lord Morris took the oath the day before Mr Mills

[colinp]

So that's two more recent vacant Garters with the death of Sir David Brewer at the end of last month

[BREMENMURRAY]

Six vacancies now

[colinp]

Lord Morris was the oldest Knight/lady of the Garter.  The oldest knight/lady is now Sir Thomas Dunne KG KCVO b 24 Oct 1933

Lord Morris was also the longest serving member of the Privy Council having been appointed 26 June 1970.  The longest serving member is now Lord Hattersley appointed 12 Feb 1975

[malcolm davies]

When these vacancies are filled(and they seem to be taking longer to do so) the King will have appointed one third of members of the order.

[colinp]

Obit in Telegraph -  Lord Morris of Aberavon, MP who, over 41 years in the Commons served in four Labour governments – obituary (telegraph.co.uk)

EXTRACTS:-

Lord Morris of Aberavon, MP who over 41 years in the Commons served in four Labour governments – obituary

He was the only member of Harold Wilson’s first government to join Tony Blair’s 33 years later 

Lord Morris of Aberavon, who has died aged 91, shared with James Callaghan alone the distinction of serving in four Labour governments and holding Cabinet rank in two of them.

He combined a successful legal career with 41 years in the Commons, being the only member of Harold Wilson’s first government to join Tony Blair’s 33 years later, as Attorney-General… 

John Morris was born on November 5 1931, the son of DW Morris, a farmer at Talybont, Cardiganshire, who died when he was six….. 

In the run-up to the 1997 election there was speculation that in a Blair government, Morris – thwarted only by Edward Heath from being Father of the House – would be sidelined for a younger man, most likely Paul Boateng. But Blair sandwiched Morris as Attorney-General between two of his friends at the Bar, Irvine on the Woolsack and Lord Falconer as Solicitor-General.

Knighted after standing down, Morris retired from the Commons in 2001 with a life peerage. He took an active part in the work of the Lords, and in 2015 delivered a coruscating attack on the length of time Sir John Chilcot’s inquiry over the genesis of the Iraq war was taking.

In 2003 he was created a Knight of the Garter, a rare distinction for a Welshman.

John Morris married Margaret Lewis in 1959. They had three daughters.