Wynn Normington Hugh-Jones

Who is Wynn Normington Hugh-Jones?

Sir Wynn Normington Hugh-Jones KB, sometimes known as Sir Hugh Jones, is a former British diplomat, administrator and Liberal Party official. Now retired, he has published two volumes of autobiography.

Hugh Jones was born at Llangollen in north Wales where his father was Headmaster of the County School. He was educated at Ludlow Grammar School and went up to Selwyn College, Cambridge in 1941 where he got his degree in natural sciences in just two years. During the rest of Second World War he served as a Signals Officer in the Royal Air Force.

Jones entered the Diplomatic Service in 1947 and served in various overseas and London postings until 1971 when he was seconded first to the Lord President’s Office and then the Cabinet Office to assist in the Great Debate which preceded the United Kingdom’s entry to the European Economic Community and to help steer the European Communities Bill through Parliament. He left government service in 1973 to become the Director General of the English Speaking Union.

Jones’ father had been a Liberal and his political sympathies were always towards the Liberal Party, although as a public servant or ESU administrator he could not participate in national political activity. But in 1977 he was appointed Secretary General of the Liberal Party and served in this post until 1983. From 1984-87 he was Joint Honorary Treasurer of the party. He steered the party through the period of the Lib-Lab Pact under the leadership of David Steel and during the formation of the Alliance with the newly founded Social Democratic Party, playing a key role in the seats' negotiations which so bedevilled the parties. Financially the late 1970s and early 1980s were difficult for the Liberal Party. Jones was forced to describe the party's position as being on a knife edge so he must have taken the Treasurer's post with misgivings in 1984. He was knighted for political and public service in the New Years Honours List of 1984.