{{Short description|Welsh politician (1962–2022)}} {{Distinguish|Aled Roberts (Wrexham MP)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}} {{Use British English|date=March 2018}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Aled Roberts | office = [[Welsh Language Commissioner]] | image = Aled Roberts (6324905377) (cropped).jpg | caption = Official portrait, 2011 | term_start = 1 April 2019 | predecessor = [[Meri Huws]] | term_end = 13 February 2022 | constituency_AM2 = [[North Wales (National Assembly for Wales electoral region)|North Wales]] | assembly2 = Welsh | term_start2 = 5 May 2011 | term_end2 = 5 May 2016 | office3 = Leader of [[Wrexham County Borough Council]] | term_start3 = 2005 | term_end3 = 2011 | party = [[Welsh Liberal Democrats]] | alma_mater = [[Aberystwyth University]] | birth_date = {{birth date|1962|05|17|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Rhosllanerchrugog]], Wales | death_date = {{death date and age|2022|02|13|1962|05|17|df=y}} | death_place = }}
'''Aled Rhys Roberts''' (17 May 1962 – 13 February 2022) was a [[Welsh Liberal Democrats|Welsh Liberal Democrat]] politician from [[Rhosllanerchrugog]], [[Wrexham]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.freedomcentral.org.uk/2016/01/aled-roberts-to-lead-lib-dem-n-wales-list.html |title=Aled Roberts to lead Lib Dem N Wales list |publisher=Freedom Central |accessdate=2016-05-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601040250/http://www.freedomcentral.org.uk/2016/01/aled-roberts-to-lead-lib-dem-n-wales-list.html |archivedate=2016-06-01 }}</ref> Roberts was a [[Member of the Welsh Assembly]] (AM) for the [[North Wales (Senedd electoral region)|North Wales Region]] from 2011 to 2016.<ref name=sen>{{cite web |url=http://www.senedd.assemblywales.org/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=421 |title=Aled Roberts |publisher=Welsh Assembly |date= |accessdate=2016-04-30 |archive-date=16 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016142927/http://www.senedd.assemblywales.org/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=421 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Before his election to the assembly, he was a councillor and the leader of [[Wrexham County Borough Council]]. He served as the [[Welsh Language Commissioner]] from 2019 until his death in 2022.
== Early life and career == Aled Rhys Roberts was born on 17 May 1962 to Gladwyn and Gwynhefin Roberts in [[Rhosllanerchrugog|Rhosllannerchrugog]], [[Wrexham]], Wales, which was where he was raised.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=21 February 2022 |title=Obituary: Aled Rhys ROBERTS |url=https://funeral-notices.co.uk/notice/roberts/5019038 |access-date=4 June 2024 |work=Daily Post |via=funeral-notices.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Owen |first=Twm |date=14 February 2022 |title=Welsh language commissioner Aled Roberts has died aged 59 |url=https://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/19922886.welsh-language-commissioner-aled-roberts-died-aged-59/ |access-date=4 June 2024 |work=Powys County Times}}</ref> A [[native speaker]] of [[Welsh language|Welsh]], he was educated at [[Ysgol y Ponciau]], [[Ysgol y Grango]] and [[Ysgol Rhiwabon]] and studied law at the [[University of Wales, Aberystwyth]], where he graduated with a [[law degree]] in 1983.<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 February 2022 |title=Comisiynydd y Gymraeg Aled Roberts wedi marw yn 59 oed |trans-title=Welsh Language Commissioner Aled Roberts has died aged 59 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cymrufyw/60374037 |access-date=4 June 2024 |work=BBC News Cymru |language=Welsh}}</ref> Following his studies, Roberts went on to practise as a [[solicitor]] in the areas of [[Mold, Flintshire|Mold]], [[Wrexham]] and [[Ruthin]] before his entry to politics in 1991.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> During this period, he was a partner at Wrexham [[law firm]] Geoffrey Morris and Ashton.<ref name="Aber">{{cite web |date=6 June 2011 |title=Alumni at the Senedd |url=https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/news/archive/2011/06/title-99398-en.html |accessdate=2020-05-14 |publisher=[[Aberystwyth University]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Roberts |first=Aled |date=21 September 2011 |title=So who are you Aled Roberts? |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/who-you-aled-roberts-1811682 |access-date=4 June 2024 |work=Wales Online}}</ref>
== Political career == Roberts was first elected to Wrexham County Borough Council in 1991 for the Rhos and Ponciau ward. In 2003–2004 he served as [[Mayor of Wrexham]]. The council was under [[no overall control]] at the time, and in March 2005 he took over as [[leader of the council]] following the resignation of the [[Welsh Labour|Labour]] leader of the council.<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 9 March 2005 |url=https://moderngov.wrexham.gov.uk/CeListDocuments.aspx?MID=6426&RD=Minutes&DF=09%2f03%2f2005&A=0&R=0&LLL=0 |website=Wrexham County Borough Council | date=9 March 2005 |access-date=6 November 2022}}</ref> In the [[2011 National Assembly for Wales election]], Roberts was elected as an [[Member of the National Assembly for Wales|Assembly Member]] for [[North Wales (National Assembly for Wales electoral region)|North Wales]]. Upon his election to the Welsh Assembly, he resigned as leader of Wrexham Borough Council as he felt he could not devote time to both bodies, and he did not contest the council election for his former seat in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-13427067 |title=Lib Dem AM Aled Roberts quits as Wrexham council leader |publisher=BBC News |date=2011-05-17 |access-date=2016-04-30}}</ref> [[File:Getting to know The Welsh Language Commissioner- Aled Roberts with En subtitles.webm|thumb|left|280px|Video of Aled Roberts answering a question from a local school: "What was your first job?"]]
Shortly after Roberts' election as an AM, it was discovered that he was a member of the Valuation Tribunal for Wales, which was a proscribed body of which AMs were not allowed to be a member, because of a perceived conflict of interest. As a result, Roberts was disqualified from the Welsh Assembly.<ref name=ele>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-14034380 |title=Electoral Commission sorry for out-of-date AMs advice |publisher=BBC News |date= 5 July 2011|accessdate=2016-04-30}}</ref> Roberts stated that he was following a Welsh language guidance document from the [[Electoral Commission]]. This document later emerged to have been incorrect, as while the English regulations had been updated in 2010, the Welsh document still gave information based on 2006 regulations.<ref name=ele /> In July 2011, Roberts' disqualification was overturned by the Assembly on a 30–20 vote.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14048630 |title=Barred Lib Dem Aled Roberts regains Welsh assembly seat |publisher=BBC News |date= 6 July 2011|accessdate=2016-04-30}}</ref>
Roberts later went on to become the Welsh Liberal Democrats' Education spokesman.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2016-wales-36017242 |title=Student living grants election pledge by Lib Dems |publisher=BBC News |date= 12 April 2016|accessdate=2016-04-30}}</ref>
For the [[2016 National Assembly for Wales election]], Roberts announced that he would be standing in the [[Clwyd South (Assembly constituency)|Clwyd South constituency]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrexham.com/news/welsh-liberal-democrats-announce-clwyd-south-candidate-for-assembly-elections-109187.html |title=Welsh Liberal Democrats Announce Clwyd South Candidate For Assembly Elections |publisher=Wrexham.com |date=2016-03-14 |accessdate=2016-04-30}}</ref> He came a distant fifth to [[Welsh Labour]]'s [[Ken Skates]], receiving 2,289 votes (10.3%).<ref>{{cite web|last=Bagnall |first=Steve |url=http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/labour-holds-clwyd-south-ken-11292360 |title=Labour holds Clwyd South for Ken Skates |publisher=Daily Post |date= 6 May 2016|accessdate=2016-05-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title = Clwyd South - Welsh Assembly constituency|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/wales-constituencies/W09000009|work = BBC News|access-date = 26 June 2025}}</ref> Roberts also sought re-election as the lead Liberal Democrat candidate on the regional list, but lost his seat to the [[UK Independence Party]] (UKIP).<ref>{{cite web|last=Flint |first=Rachel |url=http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/election-2016-ukip-two-north-11293380 |title=UKIP get TWO North Wales AMs to represent us in Cardiff Bay |publisher=Daily Post |date= 6 May 2016|accessdate=2016-05-06}}</ref>
In 2019, he was appointed by the [[Welsh Government]] as the [[Welsh Language Commissioner]] to promote the use of the [[Welsh language]].<ref name="Commissioner">{{cite web |url=http://www.comisiynyddygymraeg.cymru/English/News/Pages/Aled-Roberts-start-as-new-Welsh-Language-Commissioner.aspx |title=Aled Roberts start as new Welsh Language Commissioner |date=9 April 2019 |website=Welsh Language Commissioner |publisher=Welsh Government |accessdate=2 June 2019 |archive-date=12 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412023747/http://www.comisiynyddygymraeg.cymru/english/news/Pages/Aled-Roberts-start-as-new-Welsh-Language-Commissioner.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2022, he considered opening an investigation into [[Monmouthshire County Council]] for adopting a policy of only printing signs in English, omitting Welsh.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nation.cymru/news/commissioner-to-consider-investigation-into-tory-councils-english-only-sign-policy/ |title=Commissioner to consider investigation into Tory council's English only sign policy |publisher=Nation Cymru |date=2022-01-06 |accessdate=2022-02-17}}</ref>
== Death == Roberts died in office on 13 February 2022, at the age of 59.<ref>{{cite news |title=Welsh Language Commissioner Aled Roberts passes away |url=https://nation.cymru/news/welsh-language-commissioner-aled-roberts-passes-away/ |access-date=14 February 2022 |publisher=Nation Cymru |date=14 February 2022}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-60376863 |title=Welsh Language Commissioner Aled Roberts dies |publisher=BBC News |date=2022-02-14 |accessdate=2022-02-14}}</ref> He was married and had two sons.<ref name=":2">{{cite news |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/aled-roberts-welsh-language-commissioner-23090580 |title=Welsh language Commissioner and former AM Aled Roberts has died |work=Wales Online |last=Mosalski |first=Ruth |date=13 February 2022 |accessdate=14 February 2022}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * [http://www.senedd.assembly.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=421 National Assembly for Wales] Member profile * [http://www.aledroberts.org.uk/ Official website (non-Assembly)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016133217/http://www.aledroberts.org.uk/ |date=16 October 2013 }}
{{Welsh AMs 2011-2016|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Aled}} [[Category:1962 births]] [[Category:2022 deaths]] [[Category:Place of birth missing]] [[Category:Ombudsmen in Wales]] [[Category:Liberal Democrat members of the Senedd]] [[Category:Wales AMs 2011–2016]] [[Category:Welsh solicitors]] [[Category:People from Rhosllanerchrugog]] [[Category:Alumni of Aberystwyth University]] [[Category:Welsh-speaking politicians]] [[Category:Welsh language]] [[Category:Councillors in Wales]] [[Category:Mayors of places in Wales]] [[Category:Leaders of local authorities of Wales]] [[Category:Liberal Democrats (UK) councillors]] [[Category:Liberal Democrats (UK) mayors]]