Jeffrey Thomas (politician)
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Thomas, QC
(12 November 1933 - 17 May 1989) was a British
politician.
Thomas was educated at Abertillery
Grammar School
and King's College London
, where he was president of the Students Union 1955-56. He was a barrister, called to the bar by Gray's Inn
in 1957, and was appointed Queen's Counsel
.
Thomas was elected as a Labour
Member of Parliament
for Abertillery
in 1970. In December 1981, he was one of a number of Labour MPs who defected to the new Social Democratic Party
. His seat was abolished by boundary changes in 1983, and he stood in Cardiff West
. He came third with 25.5% of the vote, which may have contributed to the victory of the Conservative Stefan Terlezki
in a normally strong Labour seat.
He later rejoined the Labour party. He died in Pontypool
aged 55.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(12 November 1933 - 17 May 1989) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician.
Thomas was educated at Abertillery
Abertillery
Abertillery is a town in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent in South Wales, north-west of Newport, originally on the Great Western Railway. Its population rose steeply during the period of mining development in South Wales, being 10,846 in the 1891 census and 21,945 ten years later...
Grammar School
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
and King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, where he was president of the Students Union 1955-56. He was a barrister, called to the bar by Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in 1957, and was appointed Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
.
Thomas was elected as a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Abertillery
Abertillery (UK Parliament constituency)
Abertillery was a county constituency centred on the town of Abertillery in Monmouthshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system of election...
in 1970. In December 1981, he was one of a number of Labour MPs who defected to the new Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
. His seat was abolished by boundary changes in 1983, and he stood in Cardiff West
Cardiff West (UK Parliament constituency)
Cardiff West is a borough constituency in the city of Cardiff. It returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system...
. He came third with 25.5% of the vote, which may have contributed to the victory of the Conservative Stefan Terlezki
Stefan Terlezki
Stefan Terlezki, CBE, was a British Conservative politician who served as Member of Parliament for Cardiff West from 1983 to 1987. Terlezki was born in Oleshiv, a village near the town of Tlumach in what is now western Ukraine but was then part of Poland...
in a normally strong Labour seat.
He later rejoined the Labour party. He died in Pontypool
Pontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
aged 55.