First Minister Rhodri Morgan will be the guest speaker at the Newport Chartist dinner on November 2 as part of the annual celebration of the 1838 uprising, and he is a particularly good choice because of his family history.He is directly descended from Morgan Morgan, a farmer who was a prominent Rebecca Riots leader in the 1839-40 period.

The Rebeccaites were campaigning for a fair deal in the rural areas of Wales while the Chartists were concentrating on political and industrial reforms.”

Mr Morgan's great great great grandfather organised an attack on the Rhydypandy toll booth near his home in the Swansea Valley and was arrested, along with other members of his family, by the Glamorgan Yeomanry.

Like many of the Chartist leaders he was put on trial and imprisoned but unlike them he narrowly escaped being transported to Australia.

The Chartist Dinner is being held at the Newport University campus in Caerleon on Friday evening and the organiser, Newport West AM Rosemary Butler , said:

"We felt that Rhodri Morgan was just the right person to speak at this year's event because of his own connection with that very turbulent period. We often feel in Newport that these events are still close to us.Rhodri Morgan's presence will reinforce that feeling."

Mrs Butler and Newport West MP Paul Flynn will also be speaking at the dinner.

Wednesday October 31