Constituency : Pembrokeshire 1922-24, 1929-50, Newcastle upon Tyne North 1951-57 ( as National Liberal and Conservative )
Gwilym succeeded his father's supporter Evan Jones at Pembrokeshire having an easy victory in a straight fight with Labour.
Gwilym was Lloyd George's second son. He was educated at Eastbourne College and Cambridge. He joined the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in 1914 and became aide-de-camp to Major General Phillips in 1915. There were suggestions that Lloyd George was using his influence to keep him out of harm's way but he rose to the rank of Major and was mentioned in dispatches.
Gwilym's maiden speech called for investment in electricity supply.
Gwilym had a much narrower victory in 1923 when the Conservatives entered the fray and they unseated him in 1924. He bounced back in 1929.
Gwilym was very briefly Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade in 1931 until his father withdrew support from the National Government..
Gwilym held the seat comfortably as an independent Liberal in 1931 when Labour withdrew. His margin of victory was much tighter in a three cornered contest in 1935.
Gwilym was initially intending to serve again in World War Two but Chamberlain surprisingly appointed him parliamentary secretary to the Board of Trade. He was the only Liberal to accept office under Chamberlain. Churchill appointed him parliamentary secretary to the Ministry of Food in 1940 then he became Minister of Fuel and Power in 1942.
Gwilym always allied with his father but after his death became detatched from the party and concluded an alliance with the local Conservatives. He held on by just 168 votes in 1945 thanks to the Tories withdrawing. In 1946, the Liberal whip was withdrawn from him. the In 1950 he was defeated under the banner National Liberal and Conservative by 129 votes.
In 1951 Gwilym was able to stand under the same banner at Newcastle upon Tyne North in succession to a Tory although some local Tories didn't like it and stood their own candidate. Nevertheless Gwilym won with over 50% of the vote. Churchill appointed him Minister of Food. In 1954 he was promoted to Home Secretary and Minister for Welsh Affairs.
Gwilym's tenure at the Home Office is chiefly remembered for his declining to commute the death sentence on Ruth Ellis.
Gwilym retired when McMillan took over in 1957 and wanted Rab Butler in the post. Gwilym was elevated to the peerage as Viscount Tenby and joked that it should have been "Stepaside " instead. He held some public appointments during his last decade,
Gwilym was highly regarded in his own right as a straightforward and hard working minister with a good sense of humour. Baldwin waspishly commented "I like Gwilym; he takes after his mother".
He died in 1967 aged 72.
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