Background
Howells was born in Ponterwyd in Cardiganshire. He was the son of David John and Mary Blodwen Howells, both farmers.
Howells was born in Ponterwyd in Cardiganshire. He was the son of David John and Mary Blodwen Howells, both farmers.
Howells was educated at Ponterwyd Primary School and Ardwyn Grammar School, Aberystwyth. During his parliamentary career Howells also retained close links with Aberystwyth and Lampeter universities.
Howells" main living was as a hill farmer in Glennydd, Ponterwyd in Cardiganshire. He held some 750 acres there with around 3,000 sheep. The majority were prize winning Speckled Faces.
He held senior positions in the British Wool Marketing Board and was also chairman of the Wool Producers of Wales, 1977–1983.
Politically, Howells was elected to Cardiganshire County Council as an Independent in 1952. At this time it was normal practice in Welsh rural counties for Liberal members to stand as independents.
Howells was selected as the parliamentary candidate for Brecon and Radnor in 1968. He was the first Liberal to contest the seat in the post-war period.
He came third with 18.9 per cent of the vote.
During this period Howells became one of the central players in the Welsh Liberal Party. In 1972 Howells was selected as the parliamentary candidate for Cardiganshire, a seat with a longstanding Liberal tradition. lieutenant had been held by the Liberal Member of Parliament, Roderic Bowen, until his defeat by Labour"s Elystan Morgan in 1966.
In the February 1974 general election Howells defeated Morgan and retained the constituency in several different forms until 1992.
Howells was the Liberal Party"s spokesman on Welsh Affairs (1979–1987) and agriculture (1987-1992). In 1992, Howells unexpectedly lost his seat to Plaid Cymru (which moved from fourth place to first).
Plaid Cymru had formed an alliance with the Wales Green Party which attracted considerable support from non-Welsh speakers in the constituency. Howells was made a life peer as Baron Geraint, of Ponterwyd in the County of Dyfed.
Howells was a passionate pro-devolutionist.
He played a lead role in the 1979 devolution campaign in Wales. He was also able to get the Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) recognition as one of the official unions for government negotiations during the Liberal-Laboratory pact on the 1970s.
His Westminster secretary and agent was Judi Lewis (Welsh Liberal Democrat chief executive 1992–1997) whilst one of his researchers was Mark Williams who would later win the seat for the Liberal Democrats in 2005.
46th United Kingdom Parliament. 47th United Kingdom Parliament. 48th United Kingdom Parliament.
49th United Kingdom Parliament.
50th United Kingdom Parliament]
Thus he was Member of Parliament (Member of Parliament) for Cardigan (1974–1983) and Ceredigion and Pembroke North (1983–1992) after boundary changes.