Richard Thomas Evans
Encyclopedia
Richard Thomas Evans was a British Liberal Party
politician.
. During the Great War he served in Europe and attained the rank of Captain. In 1918 he married Edith Rhys Williams. In 1923 he published the book Aspects of the Study of Society, in the series Library of Philosophy and Religion.. He was for a time a lecturer in economics at University College, Cardiff.
seat of Llanelly
in the general elections of 1923
, 1924
and 1929
but was on all three occasions unsuccessful, albeit having campaigned with energy and ability against a complacent Labour party. At the 1929 general election, Evans had hopes of a straight fight with Labour in Llanelly when the local Conservatives
voted not to put up a candidate. However their decision was overturned by Conservative Central Office who sent down Mr. J P L Thomas of Llandilo in Carmarthenshire to stand in the election.
who was the source of inspiration for many innovative policy initiatives in the late 1920s. In 1925 the Liberal Industrial Enquiry was set up bringing together many well-known politicians and economists including Maynard Keynes, Ramsay Muir
and Herbert Samuel
as well as Lloyd George himself. This led to the publication in 1928 of "Britain’s Industrial Future", also known as the Liberal Yellow Book.
at the 1931 general election
as MP for Carmarthen
, taking the seat from Labour
. As the 1931 general election approached and the debate over the National Government raged, Evans was on the side of official Liberal group in Parliament led by Sir Herbert Samuel but he promised to support the National government of Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald
on the basis of Macdonald’s published manifesto and, despite the pledge of the Unionist candidate to do the same with the prospect of the splitting of the National vote, this was enough to gain him the seat in a three-cornered contest, although with hardly a safe majority of 1,214. Once elected Evans, although he called himself a free-trader, did initially support the government, voting for a Bill to authorise duties on abnormal imports, despite some declared misgivings. However in spite of this profession of loyalty to Macdonald, Evans soon crossed the floor to sit with the official Liberal group who were in opposition. Nevertheless, his flirtation with the National Government had soured his relationship with Lloyd George. By 1934 Evans must have been having thoughts about the approaching general election because, according to the diary of Frances Stevenson
he wrote to Lloyd George’s principal private secretary, A J Sylvester, asking about a rumour he had heard that Lloyd George had told Daniel Hopkin, the former Labour MP for Carmarthen, that he would publicly support him at the next election and possibly even go down to Carmarthen to speak for him. Stevenson also records that Lloyd George thought Evans a man of limited gifts, with some oratorical skills but with only one good speech which he adapted to suit his audience. The speech apparently went down well in Wales but was coldly received in the House of Commons.
Evans’s drifting between support of and opposition to the National Government did not endear him to the Conservatives either and they decided to oppose him at the next general election in 1935
. Evans’s trying to ride two horses at once on the question of his support for the National Government extended into the election campaign itself. Once the Conservative candidate had put himself in the field, Evans put out a statement, undertaking to support Stanley Baldwin
’s administration. Had he done so earlier he might have attracted more National support but in the end Evans, who described himself on the ballot paper as a plain Liberal (rather than a Liberal National), lost by 1,942 votes to Labour candidate Daniel Hopkin, the man he had defeated in 1931.
and they had dinner together at the House of Commons to discuss it. But according to Lloyd George’s principal private secretary, A J Sylvester, Lloyd George discouraged Evans from this project and certainly the book was never published. But in the course of their conversation Evans managed to extract from Lloyd George an admission of regret that he had not done more to stop the Passchendaele offensive of 1917 which resulted in tremendous loss of Allied life. Lloyd George said he failed to act to stop the battle because he did not wish to be accused if interfering as prime minister directly with the military decisions of his soldiers, particularly General Jan Smuts
who was in favour of the operation.
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
Before Parliament
Evans was educated at the University of WalesUniversity of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
. During the Great War he served in Europe and attained the rank of Captain. In 1918 he married Edith Rhys Williams. In 1923 he published the book Aspects of the Study of Society, in the series Library of Philosophy and Religion.. He was for a time a lecturer in economics at University College, Cardiff.
Parliamentary candidate
Evans had fought the CarmarthenshireCarmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
seat of Llanelly
Llanelli (UK Parliament constituency)
Llanelli is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1918 to 1970 the official spelling of the constituency name was Llanelly...
in the general elections of 1923
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, 1924
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
and 1929
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
but was on all three occasions unsuccessful, albeit having campaigned with energy and ability against a complacent Labour party. At the 1929 general election, Evans had hopes of a straight fight with Labour in Llanelly when the local Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
voted not to put up a candidate. However their decision was overturned by Conservative Central Office who sent down Mr. J P L Thomas of Llandilo in Carmarthenshire to stand in the election.
Industrial expert
In the run-up to the 1929 general election, Evans had been involved in drafting the Liberal Party industrial policy. Evans was certainly close to David Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
who was the source of inspiration for many innovative policy initiatives in the late 1920s. In 1925 the Liberal Industrial Enquiry was set up bringing together many well-known politicians and economists including Maynard Keynes, Ramsay Muir
Ramsay Muir
Ramsay Bryce Muir was a British historian, Liberal Party politician and thinker who made a significant contribution to the development of liberal political philosophy in the 1920s and 1930s through his work on domestic industrial policy and his promotion of the international policy of...
and Herbert Samuel
Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel
Herbert Louis Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel GCB OM GBE PC was a British politician and diplomat.-Early years:...
as well as Lloyd George himself. This led to the publication in 1928 of "Britain’s Industrial Future", also known as the Liberal Yellow Book.
MP for Carmarthen
Evans entered ParliamentParliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
at the 1931 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
as MP for Carmarthen
Carmarthen (UK Parliament constituency)
Carmarthen was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Wales which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom between 1542 and 1997...
, taking the seat from Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. As the 1931 general election approached and the debate over the National Government raged, Evans was on the side of official Liberal group in Parliament led by Sir Herbert Samuel but he promised to support the National government of Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
on the basis of Macdonald’s published manifesto and, despite the pledge of the Unionist candidate to do the same with the prospect of the splitting of the National vote, this was enough to gain him the seat in a three-cornered contest, although with hardly a safe majority of 1,214. Once elected Evans, although he called himself a free-trader, did initially support the government, voting for a Bill to authorise duties on abnormal imports, despite some declared misgivings. However in spite of this profession of loyalty to Macdonald, Evans soon crossed the floor to sit with the official Liberal group who were in opposition. Nevertheless, his flirtation with the National Government had soured his relationship with Lloyd George. By 1934 Evans must have been having thoughts about the approaching general election because, according to the diary of Frances Stevenson
Frances Stevenson
Frances Stevenson, Countess Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, CBE was the mistress, personal secretary, confidante and second wife of British Prime Minister David Lloyd George....
he wrote to Lloyd George’s principal private secretary, A J Sylvester, asking about a rumour he had heard that Lloyd George had told Daniel Hopkin, the former Labour MP for Carmarthen, that he would publicly support him at the next election and possibly even go down to Carmarthen to speak for him. Stevenson also records that Lloyd George thought Evans a man of limited gifts, with some oratorical skills but with only one good speech which he adapted to suit his audience. The speech apparently went down well in Wales but was coldly received in the House of Commons.
Evans’s drifting between support of and opposition to the National Government did not endear him to the Conservatives either and they decided to oppose him at the next general election in 1935
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
. Evans’s trying to ride two horses at once on the question of his support for the National Government extended into the election campaign itself. Once the Conservative candidate had put himself in the field, Evans put out a statement, undertaking to support Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC was a British Conservative politician, who dominated the government in his country between the two world wars...
’s administration. Had he done so earlier he might have attracted more National support but in the end Evans, who described himself on the ballot paper as a plain Liberal (rather than a Liberal National), lost by 1,942 votes to Labour candidate Daniel Hopkin, the man he had defeated in 1931.
Would-be biographer
In 1933, Evans’s relationship with Lloyd George had not yet descended into ruin. He approached Lloyd George with a proposal that he should write a biography of the former prime minister in WelshWelsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
and they had dinner together at the House of Commons to discuss it. But according to Lloyd George’s principal private secretary, A J Sylvester, Lloyd George discouraged Evans from this project and certainly the book was never published. But in the course of their conversation Evans managed to extract from Lloyd George an admission of regret that he had not done more to stop the Passchendaele offensive of 1917 which resulted in tremendous loss of Allied life. Lloyd George said he failed to act to stop the battle because he did not wish to be accused if interfering as prime minister directly with the military decisions of his soldiers, particularly General Jan Smuts
Jan Smuts
Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS, PC was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948...
who was in favour of the operation.