Ifor Davies (9 June 1910 – 6 June 1982), born Ivor Davies, was a

Welsh Labour Welsh Labour (), formerly known as the Labour Party in Wales (), is an autonomous section of the United Kingdom Labour Party (UK), Labour Party in Wales and the largest party in modern Welsh politics. Welsh Labour and its forebears have won a p ...

politician who was the MP for Gower from 1959 until his death.

Background

Davies was born in Gowerton,

Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...

, the youngest of the six children of Jeffrey Davies and Elizabeth Jane Thomas. His father was employed in the local

tinplate Tinplate consists of sheet metal, sheets of steel coated with a thin layer of tin to impede rust, rusting. Before the advent of cheap mild steel, the backing metal (known as "") was wrought iron. While once more widely used, the primary use of tinp ...

mill. He was educated at Gowerton School, Swansea Technical College and Ruskin College, Oxford, and then worked as an industrial personnel officer.

Political career

From 1958 to 1961, Davies served as a councillor on

Glamorgan Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the South Wales, south of Wales. Originally an ea ...

County Council A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Australia In the Australian state of New South Wales, county councils are special purpose ...

. Prior to election to Parliament, he was election agent to his predecessor David Grenfell. Davies was Member of Parliament (MP) for Gower from 1959 until he died in office in 1982. He was succeeded by

Gareth Wardell Gareth Lodwig Wardell (born 29 November 1944) is a British Labour politician. He was elected as Member of Parliament for Gower in a 1982 by-election, and held the seat until he stood down at the 1997 general election. Background Wardell ...

. Under

Harold Wilson James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx (11 March 1916 – 23 May 1995) was a British statesman and Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, from 1964 to 1970 and again from 197 ...

, Davies was a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury and Welsh

whip A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...

from 1964 to 1966 and a junior minister at the

Welsh Office The Welsh Office () was a department in the Government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Wales. It was established in April 1965 to execute government policy in Wales, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Wales, a post wh ...

from 1966 to 1969. He was a former chairman of the Welsh Grand Committee and Member of the Speaker's Panel of Chairmen. In 1971, firmly on the Right of the Labour Party, Davies was one of the 69 Labour MPs who defied the Labour Whip to vote in favour of entry to the

EEC The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organisation created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...

. He campaigned for a 'No' vote in the 1979 referendum in Wales on the establishment of a Welsh Assembly, along with other members of the 'Gang of Six',

Neil Kinnock Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock (born 28 March 1942) is a Welsh politician who was Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom), Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 Labour Party le ...

, Leo Abse, Donald Anderson, Alfred Evans and Ioan Evans. Throughout his tenure as MP, he was sponsored by the white-collar trade union

APEX The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional entities * Apex (comics) A-Bomb Abomination Absorbing Man Abraxas Abyss Abyss is the name of two characters appearing in Ameri ...

. Davies was Secretary of the now-defunct Tabernacle Chapel, Gowerton, continuing in that role while a Member of Parliament. He was a former chairman of the Council of

Swansea University Swansea University () is a public university, public research university located in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. It was chartered as University College of Swansea in 1920, as the fourth college of the University of Wales. In 1996, it chang ...

Personal life

In 1950, he married Doreen Griffiths (1925-2018); the couple had two children, Janet and Wyn, Director of Music with New Zealand Opera. His step-great nephew Huw Irranca-Davies was the MP for Ogmore 2002 to 2016 and has been the Assembly Member for the coterminous seat since 2016. His brother Benjamin was a grammar school teacher of Gravesend, Kent. Davies died in Swansea on 6 June 1982, at the age of 71.

References

*''Times Guide to the House of Commons'', 1966 & 1979 {{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Ifor Welsh Labour MPs Association of Professional, Executive, Clerical and Computer Staff-sponsored MPs Councillors in Wales UK MPs 1959–1964 UK MPs 1964–1966 UK MPs 1966–1970 UK MPs 1970–1974 UK MPs 1974 UK MPs 1974–1979 UK MPs 1979–1983 1910 births 1982 deaths People from the Gower Peninsula People educated at Gowerton Grammar School Politicians from Swansea Ministers in the Wilson governments, 1964–1970 Alumni of Ruskin College