Council of Wales

"See also the Council of Wales and the Marches for the council governing Wales between 1473 and 1689."

The "Council of Wales", and later the "Council of Wales and Monmouth", was an unelected council established in 1948 by the U.K. government until its dissestablishment with the formation of the Welsh Office [ [A History of Wales, by John Davies, page 622] ] .

The formation of the "Council of Wales" was partially in response to Plaid Cymru's growing influence following the Second World War [ [A History of Wales, by John Davies, page] ] . The council's foundation was opposed by Labour politicians such as Aneurin Bevan, Morgan Phillips and Clement Attlee, who felt that its establishment would encourage Welsh nationalism [ [A History of Wales, by John Davies, page 622] ] . Bevan, the most influential and outspoken Welsh M.P. [ [A History of Wales, by John Davies, page 622] ] of his day, believed any form of devolution would distract Wales from the political mainstream of U.K. politics [ [A History of Wales, by John Davies, page 622] ] . As a result of the opposition, the council had only 27 appointed members and held no authority. The "Council of Wales" had a primary responsibility to advise the UK government on matters of Welsh interest [ [A History of Wales, by John Davies, page 622] ] .

With the failure of unanimous Welsh political opposition to prevent the flooding of Capel Celyn, and subsequent growth in "Plaid Cymru" influence in the 1950s, the "Council of Wales" recommended the creation of a Welsh Office and Secretary of State for Wales early in 1957, at time when the governance of Wales on a UK national level was so demonstrably lacking in many people's eyes. [Butt-Phillip, A, "The Welsh Question", (1975), University of Wales Press ]

However, council member and one time "Plaid Cymru" critic Huw T. Edwards, didn't believe the Council went far enough. Edwards resigned in 1958 from the Council of Wales over what he described as "Whitehallism." Later that year he joined "Plaid Cymru".

Responding on the calls of Welsh devolution, by 1964 the Labour Government gave effect to Council of Wales proposals by establishing the unelected Welsh Office ( _cy. Swyddfa Gymreig) and Secretary of State for Wales

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