Allan Rogers

Allan Ralph Rogers (24 October 1932 – 28 November 2023) was a British Labour Party politician who served as Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South East Wales from 1979 to 1984, and Member of Parliament (MP) for Rhondda from 1983 to 2001.

Born into a working-class family in Gelligaer as the youngest of twelve children, Rogers trained as a geologist before transitioning to education and politics. Despite serving as Vice-President of the European Parliament from 1979 to 1982, he became increasingly Eurosceptic and called for British withdrawal from the European Economic Community in 1982.

As MP for Rhondda, he played a prominent role during the 1984–1985 United Kingdom miners' strike, supporting the striking miners whilst refusing to align with Arthur Scargill's leadership. Rogers served on the Public Accounts Committee and as opposition defence spokesman, becoming known for his forthright criticism of financial mismanagement and his famous observation that thieves stealing from the DHSS faced jail whilst City fraudsters escaped to the Cayman Islands.

A consistent opponent of Welsh devolution, Rogers campaigned against both the 1979 and 1997 Welsh devolution referendums, viewing devolution as a "hysterical response to nationalism". His opposition was widely blamed when Labour lost the Rhondda seat to Plaid Cymru in the first National Assembly for Wales elections in 1999. Increasingly disillusioned with New Labour under Tony Blair, Rogers was one of 33 MPs who rebelled against student tuition fees and announced his retirement in 1998, citing frustration with a government that was insufficiently "proactive in helping those we represent".

Background

Allan Ralph Rogers was born on 24 October 1932 in Gelligaer, the youngest of twelve children in a working class family. His father was John Rogers and his mother was the former Madeleine Smith. This international experience broadened his perspective and gave him firsthand knowledge of different economic and political systems, experience he would later draw upon in his political career.

After his geological career, Rogers transitioned into education, initially working at secondary school level before moving into adult education.

European Parliament (1979–1984) Rogers (far right) with fellow Labour MEPs including Barbara Castle and Ann Clwyd protesting unemployment, 1982. In 1979, Rogers was elected Member of the European Parliament for South East Wales with a majority of 41,615 over the Conservative candidate.

Despite his reservations about Scargill's leadership, Rogers and his family actively supported the striking miners. He spent time on picket lines, lent his car to picketers, and alongside fellow MP Joe Ashton, gave up part of their parliamentary salaries to miners' support groups.

Personal life and death

Family Rogers married Ceridwen James in 1955. Their marriage lasted 67 years until her death in 2022.

Chris Evans MP for Islwyn said: "Allan was the first MP I ever met growing up in the Rhondda. Later he became a friend, always encouraging and on hand to give advice when I became an MP." His successor Sir Chris Bryant called him "a magnificent advocate for the people of the Rhondda through some of its darkest times". Rogers had served during the pit closures and economic decline of the 1980s and 1990s.