Gareth Williams, Baron Williams of Mostyn

For other people named Gareth Williams, see Gareth Williams (disambiguation).

Gareth Wyn Williams, Baron Williams of Mostyn, PC, QC (5 February 1941 – 20 September 2003), was a Welsh barrister and Labour politician who was Leader of the House of Lords, Lord President of the Council and a member of the Cabinet from 2001 until his sudden death in 2003.

The Right Honourable The Lord Williams of Mostyn PC QC
Leader of the House of Lords
In office 8 June 2001 – 20 September 2003
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	The Baroness Jay of Paddington
Succeeded by	The Baroness Amos
Other ministerial offices 1999–2003 Lord President of the Council In office 13 June 2003 – 20 September 2003 Prime Minister Tony Blair Preceded by John Reid Succeeded by The Baroness Amos Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal In office 8 June 2001 – 13 June 2003 Prime Minister Tony Blair Preceded by The Baroness Jay of Paddington Succeeded by Peter Hain Attorney General for England and Wales Attorney General for Northern Ireland In office 29 July 1999 – 8 June 2001 Prime Minister Tony Blair Preceded by John Morris Succeeded by The Lord Goldsmith
Junior ministerial offices 1997–2001 Deputy Leader of the House of Lords In office October 1998 – June 2001 Prime Minister Tony Blair Leader The Baroness Jay of Paddington Preceded by The Baroness Jay of Paddington Succeeded by The Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean Minister of State for Prisons In office 28 July 1998 – 28 July 1999 Prime Minister Tony Blair Preceded by Joyce Quin Succeeded by Charles Clarke Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs In office 2 May 1997 – 28 July 1998 Prime Minister Tony Blair Preceded by Tom Sackville Succeeded by Kate Hoey
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 20 July 1992 – 20 September 2003 Life peerage
Personal details
Born	(1941-02-05)5 February 1941 Prestatyn, Wales
Died	20 September 2003(2003-09-20) (aged 62) Evenlode, England
Resting place	St Michael and all Angels Church Great Tew, England
Political party	Labour
Spouses	Pauline Clarke ​ ​ (m. 1962, divorced)​ Veena Russell ​ (m. 1994)​
Children	4
Alma mater	Queens' College, Cambridge

Early life

Williams was born near Prestatyn, in North Wales, a son of Albert Thomas Williams and his wife Selina, née Evans. He was educated at Rhyl Grammar School and at Queens' College, Cambridge.

Legal career

He was called to the bar at Gray's Inn in 1965, he became Queen's Counsel in 1978, was a Recorder from 1978, a Deputy High Court Judge, 1986–92, the Leader of the Wales and Chester Circuit, 1987–89, and a Member of the Bar Council, 1986–92 (Chairman, 1992).

Political career

He was created a life peer on 20 July 1992 as Baron Williams of Mostyn, of Great Tew in the County of Oxfordshire, and became an opposition spokesman in the House of Lords on Legal Affairs, and later Northern Ireland. After Labour's election victory he was appointed a Home Office minister, and in 1999 became Attorney General for England and Wales and Northern Ireland. He was appointed Leader of the House of Lords in 2001, initially with the sinecure office of Lord Privy Seal, for which Lord President of the Council was substituted in 2003.

Reputation among his colleagues

As part of the celebrations to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Life Peerages Act, Lord Williams was voted by the current members of the House of Lords as the outstanding life peer since the creation of the life peerage. In his book A View from the Foothills Chris Mullin wrote that he thought that Gareth Williams was most likely to succeed Derry Irvine as Lord Chancellor; in the event the position was next filled by Charles Falconer.

Personal life

Williams married Pauline Clarke in 1962, and they had three children. They divorced, and he then married Veena M. Russell in 1994, and by her had one daughter, Imogen. He died from a heart attack at his home in Evenlode, Gloucestershire on 20 September 2003, aged 62, and was buried at St Michael and all Angels Church in Great Tew, Oxfordshire.

Arms

Coat of arms of Gareth Williams, Baron Williams of Mostyn

Crest A portcullis Or in front of an arm embowed vested and the cuff braided Sable frilled at the wrist the hand Proper holding by its blade upwards Argent a sword palewise to the front of the portcullis its hilt pommel and quillons Gold. Escutcheon Ermine on a pile flory at the point Sable a lion rampany Or armed and langued Gules. Supporters Dexter upon a grassy mount growing therefrom two sweet pea flowers Proper a griffin statant erect Gold sinister upon a like mount a dragon statant erect also Gold both armed and langued Gules. Motto Y Gwir Yn Erbyn Y Byd

Bibliography

• Burke's Peerage & Baronetage (106th edition, 1999) edited by Charles Mosley

External links

• "Interview: Lord Williams" – Guardian Unlimited Politics interview with Lord Williams by Julian Glover, dated Friday, 28 June 2002, giving the peer's views on reform of the House of Lords
• Profile, Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Accessed 30 January 2023.