Constituency : Wrexham 1971-8 ( Labour ) , 1981-3 (SDP)
Tom resigned from Labour on the same day as Richard Crawshaw.
Tom was born in Pant, Denbighshire. He was educated at Ruabon Grammar School and Nottingham University . He was a chemist for ICI and worked on explosives during World War Two. He then went into the mining industry starting out as a miner himself.. He became manager of Bersham Colliery in 1957. He first stood for Labour in Flint West in 1966 coming second. He was first elected for Wrexham in 1970 and held the seat by huge majorities despite his lack of enthusiasm for the party's centralist policies . He was an indirectly elected member of the European parliament from 1975 to 1979 and was the most enthusiastic of the British delegation. Tom was a loyal follower of Roy Jenkins and had been contemplating joining the Liberals. He supported the E.E.C. devolution and electoral reform. Despite his mining background, he supported nuclear power. He became PPS to Bill Rodgers in 1974 He voted for Michael Foot in 1980 because of his support for Welsh devolution and Dennis Healey's Euro-scepticism.
Tom became President of the Welsh Social Democrats. In 1983 he stood for the new seat of Clwyd South West. He stood in the 1984 European elections in 1984 achieving one of the Alliance's better results. He came second to the Tories in a tight contest. In 1987 Tom was pushed into third as Labour captured the seat.
Tom became the first president of the Welsh Liberal Democrat from 1988 to 1990.In 1989 Tom contested the Pontypridd by-election. With an SDP spoiler candidate in the field, he came a dismal fourth, losing his deposit.
Tom published his memoirs After the Dust Has Settled in 2003.
Tom was a Welsh speaker.
He died in 2010 aged 86 from cancer.
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