14 Facts About Dafydd Wigley

Dafydd Wigley served as the Member of Parliament for Caernarfon from 1974 to 2001 and as the Member of the Welsh Assembly for Caernarfon from 1999 to 2003.

In 2010, Wigley was granted life peerage, taking his seat in the House of Lords in 2011.

Dafydd Wigley was born in Derby, England, the only child of Welsh parents Elfyn Edward Dafydd Wigley and Myfanwy Batterbee.

In May 1972 Dafydd Wigley became a councillor on the pre-1974 Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, winning in the Park, Merthyr Tydfil ward, with the sitting Labour councillor in third place.

Dafydd Wigley was elected as a Plaid Cymru councillor for Merthyr Tydfil in 1972 and was then the MP for Caernarfon from 1974 until 2001, first elected at the February 1974 general election.

In 1981 Dafydd Wigley won the presidency, but Elis Thomas had greater influence over the party's ideology throughout the 1980s.

In 1984 Dafydd Wigley resigned from the presidency because of his children's health, but he returned in 1991 for a second term after the resignation of Elis Thomas.

Dafydd Wigley stood down as a Member of Parliament at the 2001 General Election to concentrate on his role in the Assembly.

Dafydd Wigley was the Assembly member for Caernarfon from 1999 to 2003.

Dafydd Wigley secured a Plaid Cymru nomination for a peerage alongside Eurfyl ap Gwilym and Janet Davies.

Dafydd Wigley initially withdrew his candidature after complaining about how long the process was taking.

In 2024, Dafydd Wigley criticised the Senedd Reform Bill due to the introduction of a closed list PR system for elections to the Senedd.

In 2003 Dafydd Wigley became Pro-Chancellor of the University of Wales.

In 2008, Dafydd Wigley was awarded an Honorary Chair in Business at Bangor University.