Tributes paid to former Welsh Secretary Lord John Morris
Tributes have been paid to one of the towering figures of Welsh politics, Lord John Morris, who has died at the age of 91.
Lord Morris was Wales’ longest-serving MP, representing Aberavon for 41 years, from 1959 to 2001.
He was the last surviving member of Harold Wilson's Labour cabinet of the 1970s and served as Attorney General when Tony Blair became Prime Minister in 1997.
Sir Tony 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.
“I personally was hugely grateful to him particularly through the difficult times of the Kosovo conflict.
“I pay fond and heartfelt tribute to him.”
First entering government in 1964 in the Wilson administration, he was a junior minister in the Ministry of Power and Ministry of Transport, before becoming minister of state for defence equipment in 1968 during the Nigerian civil war.
As Secretary of State for Wales from 1974 to 1979 he led the Labour government's doomed efforts to create a Welsh Assembly.
Speaking to me in the Senedd in May 2022, Lord Morris, said that he regarded the Welsh Parliament as "a very important development" and added that "I'm very proud that they've acquired even more powers. I think [that in] the future they must develop an immediate, intimate relationship with HM Treasury."
"I do not think at the moment, the Office of Welsh Secretary which I fought for, has any realmeaning. They've lost their powers naturally because [those powers] have they've come here [to the Senedd.]"
First Minister Mark Drakeford tweeted that "with the very sad death of Lord John Morris, our nation has lost one of its most faithful and effective voices."How proud he was that a Parliament now exists in Wales, and how fitting that we will be able to pay our tributes to him in the Senedd today."
The current Conservative Welsh Secretary, David TC Davies, tweeted that he was "saddened to learn of the passing of one of my distinguished predecessors ... Lord John Morris. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."
Another former Welsh Secretary, Stephen Crabb, said that Lord Morris had "a razor sharp mind and [was] very enjoyable company."
The Welsh Health Minister Eluned Morgan tweeted that she said was "very sad to hear that Lord John Morris has died."