Thumbs up for Plaid at the 1999 elections

Dafydd Wigley, a long-term voice of Welsh nationalism who saw his dream of devolution realised in recent years, leaves frontline politics this week.

He was an MP for 27 years, leader of Plaid Cymru for twelve and an influential member of the Welsh Assembly since its inception.

Mr Wigley began his association with Plaid Cymru at a young age, became a district councillor and, in 1974, MP for Caernarfon.

In his maiden speech to the House of Commons he criticised centralised government and proposed an Assembly for Wales. But his party suffered a heavy defeat in 1979 when the Welsh electorate turned their noses up at devolution in a referendum.

Plaid Cymru leader

In 1981 he won the presidency of Plaid Cymru. Dafydd Wigley's past employment as an industrial economist (for Hoover, Mars and Ford) was put into good use as he focused on modernising the party's industrial policy.

During his time in the Commons Mr Wigley brought attention to areas where he had a personal interest. The death of two sons to a rare genetic disease led to strong views on the importance of embryo research.

Such was his anger during one parliamentary debate on the issue that he managed to knock off the arm of the Speaker's chair.

Mr Wigley gave up the job of leading Plaid Cymru in 1984 but returned to the helm of the party seven years later.

He presided over a successful period in the party's history which culminated in his hard-fought campaign for devolution being realised. The keenly-sought 'yes' vote in the 1997 referendum was obtained through close work with the then Welsh Secretary Ron Davies.

Welsh Assembly achieved

In 1999, 25 years after Dafydd Wigley had called for a Welsh Assembly in his first speech as an MP, elections to the body took place. Plaid Cymru managed to take 17 of the 60 seats on offer.

Mr Wigley was both an MP and AM for a short while but ill health led to his retirement from Westminster and the end of his party leadership.

He said it was 'time to pass the baton on' and announced his decision to leave frontline politics earlier this year. The Welsh Assembly, a body he played a major part in setting up, will no longer have the benefit of his huge experience and dedication.