St David’s Day debate in Commons pays tribute to late socialist historian & Labour MP Hywel Francis
Thursday 25th February saw the St David’s Day debate in the Commons. It contained perspectives on the future of Welsh Government and democracy in the wider context of the four nations of the United Kingdom
It also saw a number of tributes to the late socialist historian and Labour MP Hywel Francis led off by Cardiff MP Kevin Brennan
I want to open on a sad note, by paying tribute to the former Member for Aberavon, Hywel Francis, who died earlier this month. Hywel entered the House nearly 20 years ago, alongside me and other current Members from Wales, my hon. Friends the Members for Rhondda (Chris Bryant) and for Caerphilly (Wayne David), my right hon. Friend the Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mark Tami), and the hon. Member for Arfon.
It will not surprise hon. Members and others listening who knew Hywel that, in his maiden speech back in 2001, he spoke about Labour history, the miners’ strike of 1984, Welsh devolution and the rights of disabled people, the latter a subject that was personally very close to Hywel and his wife Mair and their family. In calling, in that speech, for equal rights for disabled people, he said:
“Those are, after all, universal rights, whether they apply to a disabled child in Soweto, or to a disabled miner or steelworker in Skewen.”—[Official Report, 25 June 2001; Vol. 370, c. 456.]
Typical of Hywel: a voice for the oppressed everywhere, an internationalist voice, a compassionate socialist voice, a distinctly Welsh voice. Rest in peace, good friend and comrade.
The full debate is at this link
Dai Smith’s Guardian Obituary
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/01/hywel-francis-obituary
My appreciation of Hywel Francis
Hywel Francis 1946-2021. Socialist historian who chronicled the making of the C20th Welsh working-class
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