David Lloyd George ascended to greatness from impoverished obscurity through wit, guile and god-given talent. A Welsh-speaking nonconformist, he overcame barriers of class, religion and language to dominate the politics of his times.

His rise began as young lawyer in Criccieth where he was known as an articulate defender of the poor. His local reputation ensured his selection to fight Caernarvon for the Liberals and he entered Parliament at the age of 27.

At Westminster, he soon achieved prominence- speaking up for Wales and against the Boer War. He enjoyed establishment disapproval for campaigning against laws compelling nonconformists to contribute to the cost of Anglican schools.

The Liberal governments of the early 20th century laid the foundations of what became the ‘Welfare State’. As Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lloyd George introduced both Old Age Pensions and National Insurance as he sought to tackle vast social and economic inequalities.

To pay for these reforms he increased taxes for the better off, earning him the contempt of Tories including Rudyard Kipling who described Lloyd George as “the Welsh thief”. He retaliated by curtailing the powers of the Tory-dominated House of Lords.

Despite his initial opposition to the war with Germany, Lloyd George’s organisational skills were required as Minister of Munitions. As the losses on the Western Front mounted, the toppling of Asquith’s government opened the way for him to become Prime Minister in 1916.

He steered Britain towards victory and remained as Prime Minister until 1921- although his attempts at later reforms were, ironically, hampered by dependence on the Tories to maintain his parliamentary majority.

Lloyd George had low cunning by the bucket- load .Margot Asquith once said he “could not see a belt without hitting below it”. He sold honours to raise funds and had a long extra-marital affair with his secretary Frances Stephenson.

Yet very few British leaders have had a more profound or more enduring impact than David Lloyd George.