Editing Cynog Dafis

{{Short description|Welsh Plaid Cymru politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix    = 
| name                = Cynog Dafis
| honorific-suffix    = 
| image               = Dafis, Cynog (53965246306).jpg
| image_upright       = 0.8
| caption             = Official portrait, 1999
| imagesize           = 
| constituency_AM     = [[Mid and West Wales (National Assembly for Wales electoral region)|Mid and West Wales]]
| assembly            = Welsh
| majority            = 
| term_start          = 6 May 1999
| term_end            = 1 May 2003
| predecessor         = Constituency Created
| successor           = [[Helen Mary Jones]]
| office2             = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] <br /> for [[Ceredigion (UK Parliament constituency)|Ceredigion]]<br /><small>[[Ceredigion and Pembroke North (UK Parliament constituency)|Ceredigion and North Pembrokeshire]] (1992–1997)</small>
| parliament2         = 
| majority2           = 
| term_start2         = 9 April 1992
| term_end2           = 10 January 2000
| predecessor2        = [[Geraint Howells]]
| successor2          = [[Simon Thomas (politician)|Simon Thomas]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1938|04|1|df=yes}}
| birth_place         = [[Treboeth]], [[Swansea]], [[Glamorganshire]], Wales
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| restingplace        = 
| birthname           = Cynog Glyndwr Davies
| nationality         = [[Welsh people|Welsh]]
| party               = [[Plaid Cymru]]
| otherparty          = [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green Party]] (1992–1997)
| spouse              = Llinos Iorwerth Jones
| relations           = 
| children            = 3
| residence           = [[Llandre]], [[Ceredigion]], [[Wales]]
| alma_mater          = [[Aberystwyth University|University of Wales, Aberystwyth]]
| occupation          = 
| profession          = 
| cabinet             = 
| committees          = 
| portfolio           = 
| religion            = 
| signature           = 
| website             = 
}}
'''Cynog Glyndwr Dafis''' (born 1 April 1938) is a [[Wales|Welsh]] politician and member of [[Plaid Cymru]] who served as the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Ceredigion (UK Parliament constituency)|Ceredigion]] from 1992 to 2000, originally as a joint Plaid Cymru–[[Green Party of England and Wales|Green Party]] MP until 1997 and then only as a Plaid Cymru MP until 2000. He also served as the [[Member of the Welsh Assembly]] for [[Mid and West Wales (Senedd electoral region)|Mid and West Wales]] from 1999 to 2003. Born '''Cynog Glyndwr Davies''' at [[Treboeth]] in [[Swansea]], [[Glamorganshire]], [[Wales]], he was initially a school teacher and researcher before entering politics.

== Early life and teaching career ==
Cynog Glyndwr Davies<ref>{{Cite journal |year=2006 |title=Births Registered in April, May and June 1938 |journal=England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2005 |publisher=General Register Office |volume=11a |page=1256}}</ref><ref name=":03">{{Cite news |date=17 August 1956 |title=General Certificate Examination Results |page=16 |work=Neath Guardian |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/801009020 |access-date=24 December 2023}}</ref> was born in [[Treboeth]], [[Swansea]], on 1 April 1938.<ref name=":12">{{Cite news |year=2000 |orig-date=Published 1 September 1998; updated in 2000 on unspecified date |title=People in the Assembly: Cynog Dafis |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/uk/wales/13129.stm |access-date=24 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=15 September 2003 |title=Plaid election married by paper chase |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3108842.stm |access-date=24 December 2023}}</ref> His father was George Davies, a [[Presbyterian Church of Wales|Presbyterian]] [[The Reverend|reverend]], [[preacher]] and [[Minister (Christianity)|minister]].<ref name=":22">{{Cite book |last1=Waller |first1=Robert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9mC7pEr0R6QC&pg=PA154 |title=The Almanac of British Politics |last2=Criddle |first2=Byron |publisher=Psychology Press |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-415-18541-7 |page=154 |language=en |access-date=24 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Owen |first=Gwilym |date=August 2003 |title=Mab y Pregethwr – adolygiad |language=Welsh |trans-title=The Preacher's Son – review |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cymru/adloniant/llyfrau/adolygiadau/545-cynog-gwil.shtml |access-date=24 December 2023}}</ref> He grew up in [[South Wales]]<ref name=":22" /> and attended Aberaeron Primary School, Aberaeron County Secondary School<ref>{{Cite news |year=1997 |title=Cynog Dafis: PC Ceredigion |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/mps/218.shtml |access-date=24 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=15 July 2010 |title=The presentation of Mr Cynog Dafis as Honorary Fellow of the University by Professor Roger Scully on Thursday 15 July 2010. |url=https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/news/archive/2010/07/title-88316-en.html |access-date=24 December 2023 |website=Aberystwyth University}}</ref> and [[Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School|Neath Boys' Grammar School]].<ref name=":12" /> He completed his secondary education in 1956, leaving grammar school with three [[GCE Advanced Level (United Kingdom)|A-levels]] in English, Welsh and history.<ref name=":03" />

Davies then [[Teacher training|trained]] to become a teacher at [[University College Wales, Aberystwyth]] (now [[Aberystwyth University]]), where he graduated with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] (BA Hons) and [[Master's degree|Master's]] in education.<ref name=":32">{{Cite news |date=1992 |title=New Faces |page=20 |work=New Statesman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tpsxAQAAIAAJ |access-date=24 December 2023}}</ref> After his studies, Davies took to a career of teaching in secondary schools and institutions of further education.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 August 1997 |title=Class of 97 take up the reins |work=TES Magazine |url=https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/class-97-take-reins |access-date=24 December 2023}}</ref><ref name=":32" /> He taught Welsh and English at Pontardawe College of Further Education from 1960 to 1962, and also taught English at Newcastle Emlyn Secondary Modern School from 1962 to 1980, [[Aberaeron Comprehensive School]] from 1980 to 1984 and [[Ysgol Dyffryn Teifi|Dyffryn Teifi Comprehensive School]] from 1984 to 1991.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":32" /> From 1991 to 1992, he was also a [[research officer]] in the Department of Adult Continuing Education at [[University College Swansea]] (now [[Swansea University]]).<ref name=":12" />

Davies married Llinos Iorwerth on 1 January 1962. Together, they have two sons and one daughter.<ref name=":12" /> The couple lived together at Crugyreryr Uchaf in [[Talgarreg]], [[Ceredigion]] for 38 years but have since moved elsewhere.<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 September 2021 |title=Owner of former home of ex-Plaid MP denies replacing its Welsh name with English one |work=Nation.Cymru |url=https://nation.cymru/news/welsh-name-of-former-home-of-ex-plaid-cymru-mp-replaced-with-english-one/ |access-date=24 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1 October 2021 |title=Ex-MP's anger after English name given to former Talgarreg home |url=https://www.tivysideadvertiser.co.uk/news/19615719.ex-mps-anger-english-name-given-former-talgarreg-home/ |access-date=14 January 2024 |work=Tivy-Side Advertiser}}</ref> At some point, Davies changed the spelling of his surname from its [[Anglicisation of names|English form]] to the [[Welsh surnames|Welsh form]] after his wife had done so to her own name; his name became Cynog Glyndwr Dafis.<ref name=":22" />'''<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gay |first=Oonagh |date=20 April 2009 |title=Members since 1979 |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP09-31/RP09-31.pdf |journal=Research Paper |publisher=House of Commons Library |volume=9 |issue=31 |page=47 |access-date=24 December 2023}}</ref>'''

== Political career ==

=== Member of Parliament ===
Dafis joined [[Plaid Cymru]] in his youth. He left the party in 1964 but rejoined in 1979.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Jones |first1=Rhys |last2=Fowler |first2=Carwyn |date=September 2008 |title=Fractured Intellectuals and the Nation: Cynog Dafis and Welsh Nationalism |url=https://research.aber.ac.uk/en/publications/fractured-intellectuals-and-the-nation-cynog-dafis-and-welsh-nati |journal=Contemporary Wales |publisher=University of Wales Press |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=130–149 |access-date=14 January 2024}}</ref>{{Rp|page=6}} He first contested [[Ceredigion and Pembroke North (UK Parliament constituency)|Ceredigion and Pembroke North]] in 1983 and finished in fourth place, a result repeated in 1987. His victory in 1992 was a notable one as he more than doubled his vote.

Dafis was a [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Ceredigion (UK Parliament constituency)|Ceredigion]] from 1992 until 2000, having been supported by a coalition of local [[Plaid Cymru]] and [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green Party]] activists, the latter of which had worked with him on a number of environmental initiatives.{{sfn|Burchell|2000|p=147}} Between 1992 and 1997 Dafis sat in Parliament as an official Plaid Cymru and Green Party MP, having been elected on a [[joint ticket]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Porritt |first=Jonathon |date=1994-08-28 |title=We need more shades of green: Jonathon Porritt is in disgrace with his party, but unrepentant: they are failing to grasp the new politics |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/we-need-more-shades-of-green-jonathon-porritt-is-in-disgrace-with-his-party-but-unrepentant-they-are-failing-to-grasp-the-new-politics-1379329.html |access-date=2023-12-24 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Palmer |first=Mark |date=2011-02-28 |title='Hybrid' gives first Green MP title to Caroline Lucas |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-12599220 |access-date=2023-12-24}}</ref> He agrees with the Greens' official recognition of [[Caroline Lucas]] as the first Green MP, as he was "a kind of hybrid, so I don't really count".<ref name=":0" /> 

During this eight-year period as an MP, Dafis voted for homosexual law reform, against greater autonomy for schools, and for removing hereditary peers from the House of Lords.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/10151/cynog_dafis/ceredigion/votes|title=Voting record - Mr Cynog Dafis, former MP, Ceredigion - TheyWorkForYou|website=TheyWorkForYou|access-date=9 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?id=uk.org.publicwhip/member/151&showall=yes#divisions|title=Voting Record — Mr Cynog Dafis MP, Ceredigion (10151) — The Public Whip|website=www.publicwhip.org.uk|access-date=9 August 2017}}</ref>

===Assembly Member ===
In 2000 he resigned as an MP to devote more time as a member of the [[National Assembly for Wales]], to which he had been [[1999 National Assembly for Wales election|elected in 1999]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC News {{!}} WALES {{!}} Plaid Cymru MP stands down |url=https://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/595607.stm |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=newsimg.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

In a speech at the [[National Eisteddfod of Wales|2000 National Eisteddfod]] at [[Llanelli]], Dafis called for a new [[Welsh language]] movement with greater powers to lobby for the Welsh language at the Assembly, UK, and EU levels.<ref name="languagemovement">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/871220.stm|title=BBC News - WALES - Call for new language movement|website=news.bbc.co.uk|access-date=9 August 2017}}</ref> Dafis felt the needs of the language were ignored during the first year of the Assembly, and that in order to ensure a dynamic growth of the Welsh language a properly resourced strategy was needed.<ref name="languagemovement"/> In his speech Dafis encouraged other Welsh language advocacy groups to work closer together creating a more favourable climate in which using Welsh was "attractive, exciting, a source of pride and a sign of strength".<ref name="languagemovement"/> Dafis pointed towards efforts in areas such as [[Catalonia]] and the [[Basque Country (autonomous community)|Basque country]] as successful examples to emulate.<ref name="languagemovement"/>

[[Dafydd Elis-Thomas|Lord Elis-Thomas]], former Plaid Cymru president, disagreed with Dafis' assessment, however. At the [[Urdd]] Eisteddfod, Lord Elis-Thomas said that there was no need for another Welsh language act, claiming that there was "enough goodwill to safeguard the language's future".<ref name="languagerow">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/776895.stm|title=BBC News - WALES - Elis-Thomas in language row|website=news.bbc.co.uk|access-date=9 August 2017}}</ref> His controversial comments prompted ''[[Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg]]'' to join a chorus calling for his resignation as the Assembly's presiding officer.<ref name="languagerow" />

In 2002, Dafis announced he would step down from the Assembly at the 2003 elections, despite party leader [[Ieuan Wyn Jones]] having asked him not to do so.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2002-09-20 |title=Plaid Cymru 2002: Ieuan Wyn Jones speech |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/2270944.stm |access-date=2024-08-27 |work=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> Soon after the elections in 2003, he announced his candidacy for Presidency of the party, but lost to [[Dafydd Iwan]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2003-05-22 |title=Cynog Dafis enters Plaid contest |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/3048211.stm |access-date=2024-08-27 |work=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2003-09-15 |title=Ieuan and Iwan for Plaid |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/3111166.stm |access-date=2024-08-27 |work=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Honours ==
He was made an Honorary Fellow of Aberystwyth University on 15 July 2010.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mr Cynog Dafis
|publisher= Aberystwyth University|website=Aberystwyth University| date= 15 July 2010}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Sources==
* {{cite journal |last=Burchell |first=Jon |year=2000 |title=Here Comes the Greens (Again): The Green Party in Britain during the 1990s |journal=[[Environmental Politics (journal)|Environmental Politics]] |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=145–150 |doi=10.1080/09644010008414543 |bibcode=2000EnvPo...9..145B |s2cid=153800709 }}
* {{cite news|last=Steer|first=Alfie|title= Cynog Dafis: Britain’s first Green MP?|type=Research blog|website=[[The History of Parliament]]|date=11 November 2024|url=https://historyofparliament.com/2024/11/11/cynog-dafis/ |publisher=[[Institute of Historical Research]], [[University of London]]|place=London}}

==External links==
*{{Hansard-contribs | mr-cynog-dafis | Cynog Dafis }}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{succession box
  | title  = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Ceredigion (UK Parliament constituency)|Ceredigion]]
  | years  = [[1992 United Kingdom general election|1992]]–[[2000 Ceredigion by-election|2000]]
  | before = [[Geraint Howells]]
  | after  = [[Simon Thomas (politician)|Simon Thomas]]
}}
{{s-par|wal}}
{{s-new}}
{{s-ttl
  | title  = [[Members of the National Assembly for Wales|Assembly Member]] for [[Mid and West Wales (National Assembly for Wales electoral region)|Mid and West Wales]]
  | years  = [[1999 National Assembly for Wales election|1999]] – [[2003 National Assembly for Wales election|2003]]
}}
{{s-aft  | after=[[Helen Mary Jones]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Plaid Cymru}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dafis, Cynog}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Plaid Cymru members of the Senedd]]
[[Category:Wales AMs 1999–2003]]
[[Category:Plaid Cymru MPs]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1992–1997]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1997–2001]]
[[Category:Bards of the Gorsedd]]
[[Category:People educated at Neath Grammar School for Boys]]
[[Category:Welsh-speaking politicians]]
[[Category:Alumni of Aberystwyth University]]
[[Category:Green Party of England and Wales MPs]]