Emrys Hughes

Emrys Daniel Hughes (10 July 1894 – 18 October 1969) was a British Labour politician, journalist and author. He was Labour MP for South Ayrshire (Scotland) from 1946 to 1969. Among his many published books were a biography of his father-in-law, Keir Hardie.

Hughes was born in Tonypandy, Wales, the son of the Reverend J. R. Hughes, a Calvinistic Methodist minister, and his wife Annie. He was educated at Abercynon Council School, Mountain Ash Secondary School and City of Leeds Training College. While working as a teacher and journalist in the Rhondda, he became a strong supporter of the Labour Party and of Keir Hardie, the Rhondda's Labour MP.

Hughes was, like Hardie, a pacifist. He opposed the First World War and was imprisoned for a year as a conscientious objector.

From 1924 to 1948, Hughes edited the Scottish socialist journal Forward. In the late 1930s, Forward was one of the few left-wing publications to criticise the Moscow Trials.Hughes' pacifist position in World War II was reflected in Forward: for the duration of the war he wrote most of the paper's articles.

In 1924, Hughes married Nan Hardie, Keir Hardie's daughter. Hughes and Nan Hardie shared the same political philosophy and ideals. As Labour councillors on the town council in Cumnock, South Ayrshire, they worked together for slum clearance and the provision of council housing. Both were provost of the Council. After Nan's death (in 1947), Hughes married Martha Cleland, daughter of P.M. Cleland , a Glasgow schoolmaster.

Hughes was first elected to Parliament on 7 February 1946 in the bye-election for South Ayrshire caused by the death of Alexander Sloan, the sitting Labour MP. Hughes was re-elected in the general elections of 1950, 1951, 1955, 1959, 1964, and 1966. As a left-winger and pacifist, Hughes was a frequent rebel against the party's leadership. He twice had the whip withdrawn, between November 1954 and April 1955 (over German rearmament), and between March 1961 and May 1963 (over nuclear weapons). However, his Constituency Labour Party always supported him in his clashes with the leadership.

In 1952, Hughes caused further controversy by calling for a reduction of the civil list payments to the British Royal Family. During the debate, Hughes identified himself as an anti-monarchist and "a republican, like President Eisenhower".

On 14 July 1966, Gwynfor Evans (Plaid Cymru) won Carmarthen from Labour in a by-election. As a fellow pacifist and member of the Peace Pledge Union, he was shown around the House of Commons by Emrys Hughes; on pointing out the Welsh table in the Commons' tea room, Hughes warned him, "You’d better not sit there, your name’s mud among that lot."

Hughes died on 18 October 1969, while still an MP.

His papers were deposited at the National Library of Scotland.