Tywyn & District History Society enjoyed a varied and thought-provoking programme by four speakers to complete the theme of ‘The History of Politics in Wales’ at their meeting on 19 November.

The evening started with guest speaker Elwyn Vaughan, leader of the Plaid Cymru Group in Powys, who gave a comprehensive account of the history and core values of his party. Drawing inspiration from Ireland's successful struggle for Home Rule and the drive for the preservation of Celtic identity in Scotland, Cymru Fydd was established in Wales. Elwyn identified Liberal MP's Tom Ellis and David Lloyd George as key figures in the early years of the twentieth century before Plaid Cymru was founded in 1925, with the aims of preserving a Celtic Welsh identity with its own language and looking towards ultimate independence.

For the second talk Dr Deakin followed with a concise exposition of the Conservative Party and its history in Wales. Beginning at the late eighteenth century with the arch-conservative political thinker Edmund Burke, he showed how such enduring values were taken up by the Conservative Party, but later modified by One Nation Conservatives as franchise-widening drew support away in the late nineteenth century. He looked at the careers of Conservative MP's representing the three historical Gwynedd constituencies to illustrate how their changing backgrounds reflected that shift in ideology. Questions to both speakers were taken.

During the break Di Drummond took bookings for the Christmas meal and members' choice forms for the next season's programme were collected.

The third speaker, Liz Deakin, gave a lively account of what she characterised as 'politics of the Demos', being the activities of trade unions, pressure groups, and a variety of individual challengers, which influence parliament and contribute to the laws of Britain. She highlighted the Welsh connection through a biographical portrait of Peter Hain, the noted anti-apartheid activist who was instrumental in its abolition. He was MP for Neath for 34 years and Secretary of State for Wales under Gordon Brown and continued as Shadow under Ed Milliband, before accepting a peerage in 2015.

The last talk was by member Freddie Collier who in a talk entitled the Welsh Influence on American Politics referenced six figures of Welsh heritage who became President. His talk was lavishly illustrated and was both entertaining and informative. All speakers were thanked.

The next meeting will be on Monday, 16 December, when the speaker will be David Williams, MBE, Operations Manager for the RNLI in Aberdyfi and leader of the town's mountain search and rescue team, will be giving a presentation on The History of Mountain Rescue. All welcome.