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Former Plaid Cymru leader and Senedd Presiding Officer Lord Elis-Thomas has died at the age of 78, his family has announced. Dafydd Elis-Thomas led Plaid between 1984 and 1991 and served as MP for Meirionydd and then Meirionydd Nant Conwy between 1974 and 1992, when he was appointed to the House of Lords. He was the first presiding officer, or speaker, of the new Welsh Assembly when it opened in 1999. Lord Elis-Thomas was described as the “Senedd’s founding father”, and flags will fly at half-mast outside the Senedd building on Friday in tribute.
He was known for being independently minded, and later clashed with the Plaid leadership and left the party in 2016, eventually serving as a minister – though not a party member – in Carwyn Jones and Mark Drakeford’s Labour governments. He retired from the Senedd and front-line politics in 2021. In a statement, his family said he died “peacefully at his home” on Friday morning following a short illness. “The family request privacy at this difficult time.” Tributes to Lord Elis-Thomas have come in from across the political spectrum in Wales.
First Minister Eluned Morgan said: “Wales has lost one of its greatest servants, and many of us have lost an irreplaceable friend. Dafydd was a true giant of Welsh politics and a passionate champion of our nation, our language, and our culture.” Morgan praised his “infectious enthusiasm”, “wise counsel”, and “mischievous sense of humour”, adding “our nation is immeasurably richer for his lifetime of service”. Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said his death “will be a huge loss to Welsh politics and the civic life of Wales”. He described Lord Elis-Thomas as “one of the most influential figures of his generation” who made a “priceless contribution” in laying the firm foundations of devolution.
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