Peter Thomas, Baron Thomas of Gwydir

For other persons named Peter Thomas, see Peter Thomas (disambiguation).

Peter John Mitchell Thomas, Baron Thomas of Gwydir, PC , QC (born July 31, 1920) is a Welsh Conservative politician, now retired.

Educated at Epworth College in Rhyl and at Jesus College, Oxford, Thomas served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War, spending 1941-1945 in a prisoner-of-war camp in Germany. A barrister, he was called to the Bar in 1947 at Middle Temple and took silk as Queen's Counsel in 1965.

Thomas was elected to Parliament as MP for Conway in 1951. He served as a junior minister at the Ministry of Labour 1959-61 and Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office from 1961, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs 1963-64. In opposition he was a spokesman on law 1965-66. In 1966 he lost his seat, but returned as MP for Hendon South in 1970, a position which he held until retiring in 1987.

During the whole of Edward Heath's premiership he held the position of Secretary of State for Wales.

In 1987 he was awarded a life peerage as Baron Thomas of Gwydir, of Llanrwst in the County of Gwynedd.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by William Elwyn Jones	Member of Parliament for Conway 1951–1966	Succeeded by Ednyfed Hudson Davies
Preceded by Sir Hugh Lucas-Tooth	Member of Parliament for Hendon South 1970–1987	Succeeded by John Leslie Marshall
Political offices
Preceded by Anthony Barber	Chairman of the Conservative Party 1970–1972	Succeeded by Lord Carrington
Preceded by George Thomas	Secretary of State for Wales 1970–1974	Succeeded by John Morris