Huw Thomas

Hywel Gruffydd Edward "Huw" Thomas (14 September 1927 – 12 March 2009) was a Welsh broadcaster, barrister and Liberal Party politician.

Family and education Huw Thomas was born in Pen-bre, near Llanelli, and was a fluent Welsh speaker. He was educated at Ellesmere College in Shropshire, at Aberystwyth University, where he read law, and Queens' College, Cambridge, where he obtained honours in law Tripos. At Cambridge he was vice-president of the Cambridge University Liberal Society and president of the Queen’s College Law Society. While at Aberystwyth he volunteered for RAF aircrew duties and served for four years. He later became a commissioned officer at the Air Ministry. He married his wife Anne in 1960. They had three children. Thomas later set up his own media consultancy firm, doing PR, producing documentaries and training programmes.

In 1970 Thomas fought the Welsh seat of Carmarthen. This was Lady Megan Lloyd George’s old seat after she had defected from the Liberals to Labour but in the by-election which followed her death in 1966 the seat had been gained by Plaid Cymru candidate Gwynfor Evans. Labour regained the seat at the 1970 general election but Thomas came a creditable third in a four-cornered contest, gaining over 21% of the poll. Thomas also used his television persona and experience for the Liberals 1970 by presenting election broadcasts. and again in October 1974.

Death Huw Thomas died on 12 March 2009 aged 81 years.