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Emyr Thomas

Emyr Thomas

Partner and Parliamentary Agent

020 7405 4600

Contact by email

Emyr is a Roll A Parliamentary Agent, authorised to promote and oppose private and hybrid bills in the Westminster Parliament.

He has over 15 years’ experience of drafting, promoting and opposing primary and secondary legislation, including drafting amendments to public legislation. He negotiates agreements and parliamentary assurances and undertakings and advises on parliamentary procedure. He also acts as an advocate before parliamentary committees in the Commons and the Lords.

Emyr has extensive experience of nationally significant infrastructure projects and regularly advises on all aspects of the development consent order regime, from the validity of pre-application consultations to special parliamentary procedure. Emyr also advises on compulsory purchase and on environmental, highways, and planning law.

Emyr is also acknowledged as an expert in electoral law and advises election administrators on the complex procedural requirements connected with running elections and referendums. He also acts for Returning Officers when the conduct an election is challenged and has been instructed by ROs in the most significant election cases of the past decade. Emyr advises non-aligned campaigning organisations on spending during election periods and has advised individuals and organisations who have been the subject of investigations by the Electoral Commission.

Emyr has, for a number of years, been recognised for his expertise in parliamentary agency and electoral law in both the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.

Alasdair Lewis and Emyr Thomas are exceptional in their field, with a very practical but polished approach to the particular peculiarities of the Parliamentary machine.

Legal 500 2023

Emyr Thomas has an extensive and encyclopaedic knowledge of elections law and he is the go to person when a local authority/returning officer receives an election petition. Emyr will ensure that a returning officer will go through the legal process involved in defending an election petition with minimum fuss.

Legal 500 2023

Emyr Thomas is extremely bright, willing and very good with clients.

Legal 500

  • Central Government
  • Local Government
  • Infrastructure
  • Public law
  • Real Estate, planning and regeneration

Emyr is a member of the Society of Parliamentary Agents and the Compulsory Purchase Association and founding member and Secretary of the Association of London Welsh Lawyers.

  • Representing a large number of petitioners on the two HS2 hybrid bills promoted so far, and advising prospective petitioners on the forthcoming HS2 Phase 2B scheme;
  • Advising local authorities, amenity groups, and businesses on a variety of development consent orders;
  • Advising a Returning Officer whose conduct of a parliamentary election was questioned by a disgruntled candidate.

With local elections taking place this week, Returning Officers and their teams may be considering what options are open to the disgruntled candidate or elector who seeks to challenge a result. Emyr Thomas explains. Problems at the count? Act quickly! If, following the declaration, something significant happens which could give rise to a challenge (for…

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The Planning and Infrastructure Bill was introduced into Parliament on 11 March 2025 with a promise to “get Britain building” and “tackle blockers” to the development of new housing and major infrastructure projects. The Bill will have significant implications for local authorities, developers and communities. Sharpe Pritchard’s Planning and Infrastructure team will be delving into…

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The planning reform spotlight has been beaming down on the Nationally Significant Infrastructure (“NSIP”) regime in recent weeks, with a new Government policy paper Streamlining Infrastructure Planning published on 26 January. The Government’s ambition to decide 150 Development Consent Order (“DCO”) applications during this parliament would represent a significant achievement which the working paper acknowledges…

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