Alan Williams – who served as a Labour MP for 46 years – has passed away. He was 84. Williams served as MP for Swansea West for nearly half a century from 1964 to 2010, when he stepped down. In his final years of service in the Commons he served as Father of the House, as the longest serving parliamentarian.
Ed Miliband led the tributes to Williams, calling him a “great Parliamentarian”:
“Throughout his career – culminating in becoming Father of the House of Commons – he commanded respect from across the political spectrum.”
“He will be missed by his many friends in the Labour Party. My thoughts today are with his family.”
His successor as Swansea West MP Geraint Davies called Williams a “ferocious cross-examiner” whilst former Welsh Secretary Peter Hain called him a “supreme House of Commons man”. Williams served as a Minister in the Department of Industry under Callaghan, amongst other roles in a long and varied career.
The thoughts of everyone at LabourList are with the Williams family.
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