LORD Elystan-Morgan, who became Cardiganshire’s first and so far only Labour MP when he seized the seat in 1966, has died at the age of 88.

Aged just 34 at the time of his historic victory, the young solicitor from Bow Street was hailed in some quarters as a potential Labour leader.

Having stood for Parliament as an unsuccessful Plaid Cymru candidate, he had joined the Labour party following Harold Wilson’s narrow victory in the 1964 General Election.

Mr Morgan proceeded to cause something of a sensation by ousting Liberal Roderic Bowen to claim the Cardiganshire seat for Labour in March 1966.

Giving their reaction, long-time Labour supporters Linda and David Grace, of Cardigan, said: "Elystan Morgan was a stalwart of the Labour Party as well as being a great Welshman and in particular a man of Ceredigion.

“When we stood as candidates for Westminster and the Senedd he was a great personal support to us and we always valued his advice and council.

"His passing is a great loss to Wales and we would like to pass on our condolences to his family.”

Born at Bow Street in 1932 Lord Elystan-Morgan will also be remembered for his long-running campaign for a Welsh parliament within two different parties, decades before it finally came to fruition.

Having lost his seat to Liberal rival Geraint Howells in 1974, Lord Morgan proceeded to head the campaign for devolution five years later.

Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies said he was a "champion for Cardigan and rural Wales".

Elystan Morgan was the MP for Cardiganshire for eight years, before he joined the House of Lords as Lord Elystan-Morgan in 1981.

He had studied law in Aberystwyth before working as a solicitor in Wrexham for a decade.

He later became a barrister and a judge, and served as president of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth between 1997 and 2007.