Editing Jim Griffiths

{{Short description|British Labour politician}}
{{For|other people named James Griffith or James Griffiths|James Griffiths (disambiguation)}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name = Jim Griffiths
| honorific-suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CH}}
| image = Jim Griffiths Secretary of State for Wales.jpeg
| imagesize = 220px
| caption = Griffiths in 1959
| order = [[Secretary of State for Wales]]
| term_start = 16 October 1964
| term_end = 5 April 1966
| primeminister = [[Harold Wilson]]
| predecessor = Office Created
| successor = [[Cledwyn Hughes]]
| order1 = [[Deputy Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|Deputy Leader of the Labour Party]]<br />[[Deputy Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)|Deputy Leader of the Opposition]]
| term_start1 = 2 February 1956
| term_end1 = 24 October 1959
| leader1 = [[Hugh Gaitskell]]
| predecessor1 = [[Herbert Morrison]]
| successor1 = [[Aneurin Bevan]]
| order2 = [[Secretary of State for the Colonies]]
| term_start2 = 28 February 1950
| term_end2 = 26 October 1951
| primeminister2 = [[Clement Attlee]]
| predecessor2 = [[Arthur Creech Jones]]
| successor2 = [[Oliver Lyttelton]]
| order3 = [[Minister of National Insurance]]
| term_start3 = 27 July 1945
| term_end3 = 28 February 1950
| primeminister3 = [[Clement Attlee]]
| predecessor3 = [[Leslie Hore-Belisha]]
| successor3 = [[Edith Summerskill]]
| office4 = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]]<br />for [[Llanelli (UK Parliament constituency)|Llanelli]]
| predecessor4 = [[John Henry Williams (politician)|John Henry Williams]]
| successor4 = [[Denzil Davies]]
| term_start4 = 26 March 1936
| term_end4 = 29 May 1970
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1890|09|19}}
| birth_place = [[Betws, Carmarthenshire]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1975|08|7|1890|09|19}}
| death_place = [[Teddington]], Greater London
| nationality = Welsh
| party = [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]
| alma_mater =
| spouse = Winifred Rutley
}}

'''James (Jeremiah) Griffiths''' {{postnominals|country=GBR|CH|PC}} (19 September 1890 – 7 August 1975) was a [[Welsh Labour Party]] politician who served for 34 years as a [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP). He was a trade union leader and became the first [[Secretary of State for Wales]], serving from 1964 to 1966 under [[Harold Wilson]].

==Background and education==
He was born in the predominantly [[Welsh language|Welsh]]-speaking village of [[Betws, Carmarthenshire|Betws]], near [[Ammanford]] in Carmarthenshire. The youngest of ten children, his father, William Griffiths, was the local blacksmith. He spoke no English until he was five.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Labour people : leaders and lieutenants, Hardie to Kinnock|last=Morgan, Kenneth O.|date=2010|publisher=Faber|isbn=9780571259618|location=London|pages=198|oclc=573359444}}</ref> Educated at Betws Board School, he left at the age of 13 to work at Ammanford No. 1 colliery (Gwaith Isa'r Betws), where he eventually became Lodge Secretary. Griffiths was a [[pacifist]] and while campaigning against the [[Great War]] met fellow socialist [[Winifred Griffiths|Winifred Rutley]], and they married in October 1918.<ref name=win>{{Citation |title=The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |date=2004-09-23 |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/58172 |work=The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |pages=ref:odnb/58172 |editor-last=Matthew |editor-first=H. C. G. |access-date=2023-03-07 |place=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/58172 |editor2-last=Harrison |editor2-first=B.}}</ref> His brother ([[David Rees Griffiths]], 1882&ndash;1953) was a Welsh poet who took the bardic name of 'Amanwy' after his native valley.

==Political career==
Griffiths continued his education by attending night school and became an active socialist. He helped establish a branch of the [[Independent Labour Party]] in [[Ammanford]] in 1908 and soon became its secretary. Later, he occupied the powerful post of secretary of the newly formed Ammanford Trades Council (1916&ndash;1919). At the age of 29, he left the colliery on a miner's scholarship (1919&ndash;1921) to the [[Central Labour College]], London, where at the same time [[Aneurin Bevan]] and [[Morgan Phillips]] were studying.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://biography.wales/article/s6-GRIF-JAM-1890#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=31&manifest=https%3A%2F%2Fdamsssl.llgc.org.uk%2Fiiif%2F2.0%2F1507797%2Fmanifest.json&xywh=2375%2C1323%2C924%2C797|title=GRIFFITHS, JAMES (JEREMIAH) (1890–1975), Labour politician and cabinet minister|last=Jones|first=John Graham|website=Y Bywgraffiadur Cymreig. Dictionary of Welsh Biography|access-date=27 July 2019}}</ref>

On returning home, Griffiths worked as [[Llanelly (UK Parliament constituency)|Llanelli]] [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] agent (1922&ndash;1925), before becoming an agent for the [[Anthracite Miners' Association]] (1925&ndash;1936), and President of the powerful [[South Wales Miners' Federation]] &ndash; known locally as the Fed &ndash; in the [[Anthracite]] district of West Wales  (1934&ndash;1936). In 1936, he was elected Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for what was then [[safe seat]] of Llanelli. Three years later, he continued his rise through the Labour movement by getting elected to the party's [[National Executive Committee of the Labour Party|National Executive Committee]]. In 1942, he led 97 Labour MP's to vote against the Labour Party's compromise with [[Winston Churchill]]'s [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] for the government to neither endorse nor condemn the [[Beveridge Report]] recommending the establishment of a comprehensive [[welfare state]] in [[Post-war Britain (1945–1979)|postwar Britain]]. Despite the defiance of the party leadership, the vote boosted Labour's popularity by demonstrating its support for the report's recommendations.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Thorpe |first=Andrew |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-1-349-25305-0 |title=A History of the British Labour Party |date=1997 |publisher=Macmillan Education UK |isbn=978-0-333-56081-5 |location=London |pages=107 |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-1-349-25305-0 |ref=none}}</ref>

Following Labour's victory at the [[1945 United Kingdom general election|1945 general election]], he was made a [[Privy Counsellor]] and Minister for National Insurance by Prime Minister [[Clement Attlee]]. In this role, he was responsible for creating the modern state benefit system. He introduced the [[Family Allowances Act 1945]], the [[National Insurance Act 1946]] and the National Assistance and Industrial Injuries Act 1948. Along with Bevan, he was one of the chief architects of the [[British welfare state]]. He served as Chairman of the Labour Party (1948&ndash;1949), and in 1950 he became [[Secretary of State for the Colonies]]. Within two years, though, the Labour Party was out of office.

During the long period in opposition, Griffiths became [[Deputy Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|Deputy Leader of the Labour Party]] (1955&ndash;1959), and spokesman on Welsh affairs. He used his good relationship with [[Hugh Gaitskell]] to commit the Labour Party to a measure of [[devolution]]. Amid the [[Suez Crisis]] of 1956, he made an important speech opposing the underhanded tactics of the then Prime Minister [[Anthony Eden]] in which he stated: "This is for our country a black and tragic week... an unjustifiable and wicked war". This was said to sum up the mood of many at the time.

Given Griffiths' determination in having campaigned for a [[Secretary of State for Wales]] ever since the 1930s, [[Harold Wilson]] persuaded him to delay retirement and serve as the first Secretary of State for Wales following Labour's [[1964 United Kingdom general election|1964 general election]] victory.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gower|first1=Jon|title=The story of Wales|date=2013|publisher=BBC|location=London|isbn=978-1-849-90373-8|page=320|edition=Paperback}}</ref> At Wilson's instigation, Griffiths established the [[Welsh Office]] and laid the foundations for the role until the [[1966 United Kingdom general election|1966 general election]], whereupon he returned to the backbenches. He was appointed a [[Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour]].

Though by now suffering from ill-health, Griffiths avoided resigning from the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]], because he feared that if he did so, Labour would lose a by-election in Llanelli. [[Plaid Cymru]] had captured the neighbouring seat of [[Carmarthen (UK Parliament constituency)|Carmarthen]] in 1966; and the Llanelli Rugby coach [[Carwyn James]] was poised to stand for Plaid Cymru in a by-election, had Griffiths stood down. He remained in Parliament until the [[1970 United Kingdom general election|1970 general election]], by which time he was about to turn 80 and was among Parliament's oldest MPs, and among the few born in the 19th century. He was succeeded in Llanelli by [[Denzil Davies]], who fended off the Plaid Cymru challenge. Similarly to Griffiths, Davies would remain MP for the constituency for around 35 years. The previous year, Griffiths had published his autobiography, ''Pages From Memory'' (London: Dent, 1969).

==Personal life==
He died in [[Teddington]], Greater London, aged 84, leaving two sons and two daughters. He is buried at the Christian Temple chapel in Ammanford. In a memorial address, [[Jim Callaghan]], prime minister (1976–79), described him as "one of the greatest sons of Wales. We honour the memory of Jim Griffiths of Ammanford. I mention his birth place because, despite all his honours and journeyings, it was the place of his birth, deep in the heart of Wales, that essentially shaped his life and actions."

==Bibliography==

* ''Plan for Britain: A Collection of Essays prepared for the Fabian Society'' by G D H Cole, Aneurin Bevan, '''Jim Griffiths''', L F Easterbrook, Sir William Beveridge, and Harold J Laski (Not illustrated with 127 text pages).<ref>Detail taken from ''Plan for Britain'' published by George Routledge with a date of 1943 and no ISBN</ref>
*Griffiths, James. ''Pages from Memory.'' London: J. M. Dent & Sons, 1969.
* [[Winifred Griffiths|Griffiths, Winifred]]. ''One Woman's Story'' (privately printed, 1979)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051102084612/http://www.llgc.org.uk/Ymgyrchu/Datganoli/SeneddiGymru/DASGX1.htm Election leaflet held by the national Library of Wales]
* [http://www.terrynorm.ic24.net/ Selection of his writings]
* {{Hansard-contribs | mr-james-griffiths | Jim Griffiths }}
*[https://biography.wales/article/s6-GRIF-JAM-1890#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=31&manifest=https%3A%2F%2Fdamsssl.llgc.org.uk%2Fiiif%2F2.0%2F1507797%2Fmanifest.json&xywh=2375%2C1323%2C924%2C797 Biography of James (Jeremiah) Griffiths (1890–1975), Labour politician and cabinet minister. Y Bywgraffiadur Cymreig (Dictionary of Welsh Biography).]
*[https://archives.library.wales/index.php/james-griffiths-papers-2 James Griffiths Papers] in the [[National Library of Wales]]

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{{s-par|uk}}
{{succession box
  | title  = Member of Parliament for [[Llanelli (UK Parliament constituency)|Llanelli]]
  | years  = [[1936 Llanelli by-election|1936]]&ndash;[[1970 United Kingdom general election|1970]]
  | before = [[John Henry Williams (politician)|John Henry Williams]]
  | after  = [[Denzil Davies]]
}}
{{s-off}}
{{succession box
  | title  = [[Minister of National Insurance]]
  | years  = 1945&ndash;1950
  | before = [[Leslie Hore-Belisha]]
  | after  = [[Edith Summerskill]]
}}
{{succession box
  | title  = [[Secretary of State for the Colonies]]
  | years  = 1950&ndash;1951
  | before = [[Arthur Creech Jones]]
  | after  = [[Oliver Lyttelton]]
}}
{{s-new|minister}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Secretary of State for Wales]]|years=1964–1966}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Cledwyn Hughes]]}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{succession box | title=Chair of the [[National Executive Committee of the Labour Party|Labour Party]] | before=[[Manny Shinwell]] | after=[[Sam Watson (UK politician)|Sam Watson]] | years= 1948&ndash;1949}}
{{succession box | before=[[Herbert Morrison]] | title=[[Deputy Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|Deputy Leader of the Labour Party]] | years=1955&ndash;1959 | after=[[Aneurin Bevan]]}}
{{s-npo|union}}
{{succession box|title=Agent for the Anthracite District<br />of the [[South Wales Miners' Federation]]|years=1925&ndash;1934|before=John Thomas|after=[[Arthur Horner (trade unionist)|Arthur Horner]]<br/>John James<br/>[[D. J. Williams (politician)|D. J. Williams]]}}
{{succession box
  | title  = President of the [[South Wales Miners Federation]]
  | years  = 1934&ndash;1936
  | before = [[Enoch Morrell]]
  | after  = [[Arthur Horner (politician)|Arthur Horner]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Secretaries of State for Wales}}
{{Secretary of State for Work and Pensions}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Griffiths, Jim}}
[[Category:1890 births]]
[[Category:1975 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Carmarthenshire]]
[[Category:Welsh Labour MPs]]
[[Category:Secretaries of State for the Colonies]]
[[Category:Secretaries of State for Wales]]
[[Category:Members of the Fabian Society]]
[[Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour]]
[[Category:Miners' Federation of Great Britain-sponsored MPs]]
[[Category:National Union of Mineworkers-sponsored MPs]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1935–1945]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1945–1950]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1950–1951]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1951–1955]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1955–1959]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1959–1964]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1964–1966]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1966–1970]]
[[Category:Welsh socialists]]
[[Category:Chairs of the Labour Party (UK)]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Carmarthenshire constituencies]]
[[Category:Ministers in the Attlee governments, 1945–1951]]
[[Category:Ministers in the Wilson governments, 1964–1970]]