Tributes paid in Welsh Parliament to the “loss of a sincere, warm, humorous, and very passionate man”

Tributes have been paid in the Welsh Parliament chamber following the news the day before of death of Aled Roberts, who passed away at the age of 59.

The Llywydd Elin Jones MS addressed the chamber in a special section of the Plenary session yesterday afternoon, “Before we begin our work today, we will spend a few moments reflecting on the sad and unexpected news that came through yesterday of the death of former Member, and friend to many, Aled Roberts, who was a Member representing north Wales here between 2011 and 2016. It’s fair to say that some Members can make a huge impression in a relatively brief period, and Aled was one of those.

“An instinctive parliamentarian who worked across parties, just as effective in collaborating as he was in scrutinising and challenging, and doing that collaboration and scrutiny with courtesy and a smile. Aled Roberts was full of hope on the future of his nation and his language. His was an excellent appointment as Welsh Language Commissioner. His dear Rhosllannerchrugog, his language and his country are poorer today without him, but we all thank him for everything he achieved, and are thinking of his family in their cruel loss.”

The First Minister Mark Drakeford said, “It was very sad to hear of the death of Aled Roberts. As you said, Llywydd, Aled, as a former Member, was a friend to many of us in the Senedd. Be it as leader of Wrexham council, a Member of the Senedd or as Welsh Language Commissioner, Aled stood strongly for the principle of social justice. Throughout his professional career, Aled strove for what was important to him, and was willing to fight for fair play and equality.

“When he was appointed Welsh Language Commissioner, he brought new energy to the role. He was a people person, and he was a commissioner who was open to listening to people and to providing constructive support to them. He was a sincere, warm man who was full of humour. We are greatly indebted to him for his unstinting service and for his friendship. His passion and commitment to the Welsh language could not have been beaten, as a chapel organist or as the chair of governors at Ysgol Morgan Llwyd. His local community in Rhos was so very important to him, and, despite his busy schedule, he always supported that community.

“We sympathise greatly with his family in these very difficult circumstances as we commemorate him in the Chamber today.”

Leader of the Welsh Conservatives Andrew Davies MS said, “These are the types of moments that you never really wish you have to do, or if you do do them, someone’s had a good, full and active life and lived to a good age. Aled lived a very good and active life, but he’s been taken away from us far too soon at the age of 59 years.

“It is the case that Aled was a facilitator in life, whether it be the legal profession he trained to go into from Aberystwyth University or the politics he espoused. And we weren’t on the same side of the aisle, but he definitely was someone who’d reach out across that aisle to reach consensus and build a better Wales. And whether that be when he was a councillor in Wrexham, a leader of the council, or indeed here as an MS for the term that was 2011 to 2016, he certainly worked across party to make sure that we could reach that consensus to build a better and stronger Wales.”

“And in particular, the work that he undertook when he left this place and getting appointed as Welsh Language Commissioner reached into communities the length and breadth of Wales to increase the uptake of the language. And as I said in my opening remarks, he has been taken away from us far too young at the age of 59, but to be taken away from your family at that age is even more of a cruel blow. And I’m sure we all reflect on the trauma that has created and the grief that has created for Llinos and the children, and the wider family, and we send our kindest regards and condolences to them at this most difficult time. I hope they are able to wrap themselves in the blanket of achievements that he made when he was here, and at Wrexham, and in his business life as a lawyer, serving his constituents and serving his clients in north Wales.”

Llyr Gruffydd MS said, “The appallingly sad news of the loss of Aled came as a huge shock to many of us, of course. I was aware that he hadn’t been in the best of health over the past 12 months, but when the news broke yesterday, we were all shaken by the loss of a sincere, warm, humorous, and very passionate man. But it was a gentle passion that Aled had, he was one who was always willing to work across party boundaries for the benefit of his community and his nation. And that was clear, of course, from his days as leader of Wrexham council, when his door was always open for one and all.

“He gave clear leadership in terms of the Welsh language during that time, opening new Welsh-medium schools in the county and ensuring that the Welsh language was a corporate priority for the council at that time. And having the opportunity to carry that through at a national level, in his role as Welsh Language Commissioner, was something that I know Aled was extremely proud of.

“I had the privilege, like many of us in this Senedd, to work very closely with him in the fourth Senedd—both of us elected on the same day in 2011, and both of us representing the North Wales region. We spent hours putting the world to rights on those lengthy train journeys from Wrexham to Cardiff and back, and the conversations varied from discussing the detail of parliamentary legislation to the performance of Wrexham football club on the weekend. Of course, he was a huge fan of his local football club, but also a huge supporter of his community more broadly. He was chair of the Stiwt in Rhos, a building that he played a central part in its reopening. He sang in local choirs, he was an organist at his chapel and a governor of local schools. He was very much the man of his people.”

“Therefore, the loss of Aled is a huge blow in many ways, and, of course, our thoughts are with Llinos, the boys, and his whole family at this difficult time. I and everyone in Plaid Cymru want to extend our sympathies to them. But I also want to express our thanks—our thanks for all the work that he did, and to give thanks that he was able to achieve so much in a life that was cut short far too soon.”

The Leader of Aled Roberts’s party, Jane Dodds MS, spoke, “First of all, may I send the party’s condolences, and all of our condolences, to Llinos and the family. It’s a great shock to all of us—here and in the Liberal Democrat family. Aled was one of the kindest, friendliest and most hard-working people that I and others ever met.

“Aled made a major contribution to the political life of Wales, and to the communities that he served. Rhosllanerchrugog ran through him like a stick of rock. And while we’re all familiar with Aled’s political career—in the Ponciau ward, a mayor and leader of Wrexham council, or as a Member of the Senedd for North Wales—it was the community of Rhosllanerchrugog, and his family, that came first every time.

“Aled was eager as a councillor and as a Member of the Assembly, as it was at the time, to do the little things for his community, through setting solar panels on a housing estate in Llay, investing in public transport infrastructure and community health, or through investing in the schools of Wrexham. And I know how much of a privilege it was for him to work on behalf of the Welsh language as the Welsh Language Commissioner, and to ensure that every child in Wales had the opportunity to receive their education through the medium of Welsh.

“As somebody from Wrexham, I know that Wrexham isn’t usually an area where the language flourishes, and that’s what was so special that Aled was the language commissioner: he was from Wrexham, and had served his community, his nation, and his language with a great deal of dignity, as an example to us all. Thank you, Aled.”