{{Short description|British politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}} {{Use British English|date=August 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix= Sir | name = Raymond Gower | image = Raymond Gower in 1953.jpg | caption = Gower in 1953 | alt = | office = Member of Parliament | constituency = Barry (1951–1983)<br>Vale of Glamorgan (1983–1989) | term_start = 25 October 1951 | term_end = 22 February 1989 | predecessor = Dorothy Rees | successor = John Smith | party = Conservative | birth_name = Herbert Raymond Gower | birth_date = {{birth date|1916|08|15|df=yes}} | birth_place = Neath, Wales | death_date = {{death date and age|1989|02|22|1916|08|15|df=yes}} | death_place = Sully, Wales | education = Cardiff School of Law | spouse = {{marriage|Cynthia Hobbs|1973}} | children = }} '''Sir Herbert Raymond Gower''', FInstD (15 August 1916 &ndash; 22 February 1989) was a British Conservative Party Member of Parliament for over 37 years, representing seats in Glamorgan from 1951 to his death in 1989. He was also a journalist and broadcaster.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Gower, Sir (Herbert) Raymond, (15 Aug. 1916–22 Feb. 1989), MP (C) Vale of Glamorgan, since 1983 (Barry Division of Glamorganshire, 1951–83); journalist and broadcaster|url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-164675|access-date=2021-04-16|website=WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO|year=2007 |language=en|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u164675|isbn=978-0-19-954089-1 }}</ref>

==Early life and career== Born in Neath on 15 August 1916, Gower was the son of the late Lawford R. Gower, FRIBA, County Architect for Glamorgan, and Mrs Gower. He was educated at Cardiff High School and Cardiff School of Law at University of Wales, Cardiff.<ref name=":0" />

Gower was admitted as a solicitor in 1944. He practised in Cardiff from 1948 to 1963 and was a Partner at S. R. Freed & Co., Harewood Place, W1, London, from 1964 onwards. He was also Political Columnist at the ''Western Mail'' for Cardiff from 1951 to 1964.<ref name=":0" />

==Parliamentary career== He first stood for Parliament at the 1950 general election, contesting the safe Labour seat of Ogmore, where he was beaten by Walter Padley.<ref name=":0" />

Gower was elected as the MP for Barry in South Wales at the next general election in 1951. He was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Gurney Braithwaite (1951–54), Reginald Maudling (1951–52) John Profumo (1952–57), Hugh Molson (1954–57), the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, and to the Minister of Works (1957–60). Gower was also a member of the Speaker's Conference on Electoral Law from 1967 to 1969 and 1971 to 1974. He was a member of the Select Committee on Expenditure (1970–73) and the Select Committee on Welsh Affairs (1979–83). In 1966, he became Treasurer of the Welsh Parliamentary Party, subsequently being Chairman of the Welsh Conservative Members from 1970 to 1974, and again from 1979.<ref name=":0" />

Boundary changes saw most of the seat transferred to the Vale of Glamorgan, which Gower represented from its creation for the 1983 general election. He remained a member of the House of Commons until he died in office in South Glamorgan in 1989, aged 72.

== Outside Parliament == Gower was joint Founder and Director of the first Welsh Unit Trust. In 1951, he became a Governor of University College, Cardiff. He was made a Member of the Court of Governors at the National Library of Wales that year, subsequently taking up that role at the National Museum of Wales (in 1952) and University College, Aberystwyth (in 1953). He was Vice-President at the National Chamber of Trade (1956–); Cardiff Business Club (1952) and South Wales Ramblers (1958–).<ref name=":0" />

He was also Secretary of the Friends of Wales Society (Cultural), a member of the Welsh Advisory Council for Civil Aviation (1959–62). Gower was President of the Wales Area Conservative Teachers' Association (1962–) and the Glamorgan (London) Society (1967–69).<ref name=":0" />

== Honours == In 1958, he became a Fellow of the Institute of Directors, and was awarded a knighthood in the 1974 New Years Honours List.<ref name=":0" /> He received the Freedom of the Borough of the Vale of Glamorgan on 13 April 1977.<ref>{{cite web |title=Honorary Freedom and Freedom of Entry |url=https://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/en/our_council/Council-Structure/The-Mayor/Honorary-Freedom.aspx |website=Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council |access-date=1 November 2021}}</ref>

== Personal life and death == In 1973, Gower married Cynthia, the daughter of Mr and Mrs James Hobbs. His recreations were tennis, squash rackets and travelling in Italy. Gower was a member of the Carlton and Royal Over-Seas League clubs. He lived in Sully, South Glamorgan.<ref name=":0" />

On 22 February 1989, he suffered a fatal heart attack at his home following a day on the campaign trail for the Pontypridd by-election, which took place the next day.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.newspapers.com/image/1186144673/|title = Testing time as leaders eye polls|date = 23 February 1989|page = 1|last = Foster|first = Jack|newspaper = Yorkshire Evening Press|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = 13 June 2025|url-access = subscription}}</ref> The consequent by-election in Gower's seat was won by Labour's John Smith (not to be confused with the party leader of the same name).<ref name=":0" />

==References== {{Reflist}} *''The Times Guide to the House of Commons'', Times Newspapers Ltd, 1966, 1987 & 1992 *{{Rayment|date=February 2012}}

{{s-start}} {{s-par|uk}} {{s-bef | before = Dorothy Rees }} {{s-ttl | title = Member of Parliament for Barry | years = 1951&ndash;1983 }} {{s-non | reason = Constituency abolished }}

{{s-new | constituency}} {{s-ttl | title = Member of Parliament for Vale of Glamorgan | years = 1983&ndash;1989 }} {{s-aft | after = John Smith }} {{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gower, Raymond}} Category:1916 births Category:1989 deaths Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for Welsh constituencies Category:Knights Bachelor Category:UK MPs 1951–1955 Category:UK MPs 1955–1959 Category:UK MPs 1959–1964 Category:UK MPs 1964–1966 Category:UK MPs 1966–1970 Category:UK MPs 1970–1974 Category:UK MPs 1974 Category:UK MPs 1974–1979 Category:UK MPs 1979–1983 Category:UK MPs 1983–1987 Category:UK MPs 1987–1992 Category:Alumni of Cardiff University Category:Politics of the Vale of Glamorgan Category:Barry, Vale of Glamorgan