MP for the University of Wales?

The hugely successful Vote for Students campaign run by the National Union of Students means that students in many seats may just hold the balance of power between candidates, forcing them come clean on where they stand on tuition fees and other important issues.

The scheme makes our MP’s accountable to students once again, but could we do better? How about a MP just for Welsh Universities?

From 1918 to 1950 that is exactly what we had. The University of Wales returned one MP to Westminster in a first past the post system, with the electorate consisting of graduates of the University.



Liberal candidate Herbert Lewis was the first elected to the new seat in 1918, defeating Mrs H Mackenzie by 563 votes – the electorate was a mere 1,066.

But Swansea votes didn’t count until the 1922 election when Thomas Lewis, who fought the election from his nursing home, was elected only to die a year later at 41.

The Liberals held the seat from its creation in 1918 until it was abolished in 1950. Although both Liberal MP’s were also members of the Welsh home rule movement Cymru Fydd.

And William Gruffydd, who held the seat from 1942 until 1950, was also the vice-president of Plaid Cymru until a feud broke out when he stood against the Swansea University academic and founder of the party Saunders Lewis.

Whatever happens this time I doubt we will see representation like that again.