describing the "appalling poverty" of the island's inhabitants and assisted with the establishment of the island's first trade union. This visit established Hughes's reputation as a politician actively involved with the affairs of the Commonwealth. In 1959, Hugh Gaitskell appointed Hughes as a shadow spokesman on housing and local government. When Labour came to power in 1964, Hughes was appointed Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations and this turned out to be an inspired appointment which Harold Wilson considered to be "one of the Government's outstanding successes". During his two years in post Hughes was heavily involved with decolonization and represented the British Government at the independence celebrations of Malta, Kenya and the Gambia. His negotiating skills were tested by conflicts within the Commonwealth, notably in Cyprus, Malaysia and the Indian sub-continent where Hughes negotiated a cease-fire between India and Pakistan following a military conflict in the Rann of Kutch during June 1965. Hughes was also involved in the negotiations to avert a unilateral declaration of independence in Southern Rhodesia. In July 1965, he visited Salisbury for talks with Ian Smith, but these were unsuccessful and Smith declared UDI the following November. Secretary of State for Wales In 1966, Wilson made him Secretary of State for Wales in succession to Jim Griffiths. Hughes was supported as Minister of State by George Thomas until 1967 and then by Eirene White who spoke warmly of his support and encouragement in that he allowed her to carry out her duties without undue interference. His first months at the Welsh Office were difficult despite the fact that Labour had won 32 of the 36 Welsh constituencies. On 14 July 1966, Gwynfor Evans won the Carmarthen by-election to become the first Plaid Cymru MP leading to an upsurge in support for political nationalism, which was also reflected in the Welsh Language Society's active campaign for bilingual road tax licences. Within the Labour Party a minority of Welsh MPs and activists supported some form of devolution reminiscent of the campaign which Hughes had supported in the 1950s. At the same time many of Hughes's Labour colleagues, particularly veteran MPs in the industrial south, were fiercely opposed to any form of devolution. Hughes ended up caught between these two wings, and disappointed those who had anticipated a greater move towards devolution. In 1968 Hughes was succeeded as Secretary of State by George Thomas, whose views on the