Former Plaid Cymru chief Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas has died

Former Plaid Cymru chief and Senedd Presiding Officer Lord Elis-Thomas has died on the age of 78, his household has introduced.

Dafydd Elis-Thomas led Plaid between 1984 and 1991 and served as MP for Meirionydd after which Meirionydd Nant Conwy between 1974 and 1992, when he was appointed to the Home of Lords.

He was the first presiding officer, or speaker, of the brand new Welsh Meeting when it opened in 1999.

Lord Elis-Thomas was described because the “Senedd’s founding father”, and flags will fly at half-mast outdoors the Senedd constructing on Friday in tribute.

Identified for being independently minded, Lord Elis-Thomas later clashed with the Plaid management and left the social gathering in 2016, ultimately serving as a minister – although not a celebration member – in Carwyn Jones and Mark Drakeford’s Labour governments.

He retired from the Senedd and front-line politics in 2021.

In an announcement, his household stated he died “peacefully at his house” on Friday morning following a brief sickness.

“The household request privateness at this troublesome time.”

Tributes to Lord Elis-Thomas have are available in from throughout the political spectrum in Wales.

First Minister Eluned Morgan stated: “Wales has misplaced considered one of its best servants, and many people have misplaced an irreplaceable pal.

“Dafydd was a real large of Welsh politics and a passionate champion of our nation, our language, and our tradition.”

Morgan praised his “infectious enthusiasm”, “smart counsel” and “mischievous sense of humour”, including “our nation is immeasurably richer for his lifetime of service”.

Plaid Cymru chief Rhun ap Iorwerth stated his loss of life “will probably be an enormous loss to Welsh politics and the civic lifetime of Wales”.

He described Lord Elis-Thomas as “one of the influential figures of his era” who made a “priceless contribution in laying the agency foundations of devolution”.

“We bear in mind Dafydd as a ground-breaking MP when he grew to become the youngest Member of the 1974 UK Parliament earlier than main Plaid Cymru with ardour and distinction.

“Dafydd was a private pal to my household and I, and was an influential determine throughout my adolescence,” ap Iorwerth stated, including Elis-Thomas’ “love for our nation, its language and tradition was unwavering”.

Elin Jones, the present Senedd Presiding Officer, stated it was “onerous to think about Welsh political life” with out Lord Elis-Thomas, describing him because the “Senedd’s founding father”.

“Because the early Nineteen Seventies he has been omnipresent, having served within the Home of Commons, the Home of Lords and our Senedd,” she stated.

“He was eager to determine a contemporary democracy from the beginning, studying from different Parliaments what to do, and what to not do.

“He grew to become the keeper of the Welsh structure however was all the time ready to assume outdoors the field.”

Liz Saville-Roberts, Plaid Cymru MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, described Lord Elis-Thomas as “an amazing determine within the public lifetime of Wales”.

“I’ve spoken to so many individuals within the constituency, and particularly in Meirionnydd, who inform me how Dafydd’s politics had passionately impressed them as younger individuals,” she stated.

“His tireless work and his dedication to Wales, its individuals, and its democracy has left an enormous mark on our historical past.”

Llyr Gruffydd, Plaid MS for North Wales, stated he had “blessed recollections” of Lord Elis-Thomas.

“Because of him for all of the work he did for Wales,” he stated.

Former Welsh Labour minister Lee Waters described him as “an incredible character” who performed an necessary function in Welsh politics.

“I favored him quite a bit, despite the fact that he might be maddening. Very unhappy information,” he stated.

Welsh Conservatives chief Darren Millar MS stated: “Lord Elis-Thomas was a titan of Welsh politics; his passing is a good loss.

“Nobody may ever argue that he did not have a deep love for Wales and Welsh individuals.”

His predecessor Andrew RT Davies added he was “deeply saddened” to listen to of Lord Elis-Thomas’s loss of life.

“He was all the time forthright and sturdy when expressing his views, and for that I admired him strongly,” he added.