Thomas, (Thomas) George (1909–1997)

Welsh Labour politician who became Speaker of the House of Commons in 1976.

He was elected Labour MP for Cardiff Central in 1945 and for Cardiff West in 1950. From 1951 to 1964 he was a member of the Chairmen's Panel of the House of Commons, and between 1964 and 1968 he was successively parliamentary under secretary at the Home Office, minister of state at the Welsh Office, and minister of state at The Commonwealth Office. He entered the Cabinet in 1968 as secretary of state for Wales, a post he held until Labour's defeat in 1970. In 1974 he became chairman of Ways and Means and deputy speaker of the House of Commons, and in 1976 he became only the second Labour MP to become Speaker of the House of Commons. He was created Viscount Tonypandy when he joined the House of Lords in 1983.

Despite being secretary of state for Wales for two years, Thomas campaigned against Welsh nationalism and the creation of the Welsh Assembly. He was also involved in the anti-Europe campaign of James Goldsmith and his Referendum Party in 1996.

He was born in Port Talbot, the son of a miner, was educated at a state secondary school, and won a scholarship to the University of Southampton. On graduation he became a teacher in London. He was a lay Methodist preacher.

The profile of the role of Speaker was raised when parliamentary debates began to be broadcast on the radio in 1978, and he was the first Speaker to receive fan mail.