Gwynfor Evans - Definition and Overview

Gwynfor Evans (born 1912), a Welsh politician, was the first Member of Parliament to represent Plaid Cymru at Westminster.

Evans, then leader of the party, won the parliamentary seat of Carmarthen from Labour in a by-election on July 14, 1966, lost it to Labour in the 1970 General Election, and won it back in the October 1974 General Election after failing to win it in the February 1974, General Election by only three votes. He led the party from 1945 to 1981. In 1982, his threat to go on hunger strike to ensure that the Conservative government did not renege on its promise of a Welsh language television channel brought about an early U-turn on the part of Margaret Thatcher, and S4C began broadcasting at the end of that year.

Works

• Bywyd Cymro (1982)
• Cymru o Hud (2001)