Roger Williams (British politician)

Roger Hugh Williams, CBE (born 22 January 1948) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the UK. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Brecon and Radnorshire from 2001 until he lost his seat to Conservative candidate Christopher Davies in the 2015 general election.

Born in the town of Crickhowell, Roger Williams studied at Christ College, Brecon, and Selwyn College, Cambridge. On graduating in Natural Sciences he returned to Breconshire becoming a livestock farmer on the family farm at Llanfilo. During the mid-1980s he was elected Chairman of the Brecon and Radnorshire branch of the National Farmers Union.

Williams joined the Labour Party in 1969, but left to join the SDP at the formation of the party in 1981 and represented it and subsequently the Liberal Democrats on Powys County Council. In 1990 he was elected Chairman of Brecon Beacons National Park. At the 1999 Welsh Assembly election Williams contested Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire but finished a distant fifth.

In 2001 he was elected to represent the constituency of Brecon & Radnorshire holding the seat with a majority of 751 following the retirement of fellow Liberal Democrat Richard Livsey. In the 2005 election he was returned with an improved majority of 3,905. He served as Shadow Welsh Secretary in the Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team in the 2005-10 Parliament and was re-elected in the 2010 election with a majority of 3,747.

Williams was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for public and political service.

He married Penelope James in 1973 in Devon. They have a son (born 1975) and daughter (born 1976).