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{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
|honorific-prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
|name = Alun Cairns
|name = Alun 'Knobhead' Cairns
| honorific-suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MP}}
| honorific-suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MP}}
|image = Alun Cairns 2016.jpg
|image = Alun Cairns 2016.jpg
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|website = {{url|aluncairns.com|Official website}}
|website = {{url|aluncairns.com|Official website}}
}}
}}
'''Alun Hugh Cairns'''<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=59418 |date=13 May 2010 |page=8747}}</ref> {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MP}} (born 30 July 1970) is a Welsh [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] politician, who became [[Secretary of State for Wales]] on 19 March 2016. He was previously a member of the [[National Assembly for Wales]] for the [[South Wales West (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|South Wales West]] region from the [[National Assembly for Wales election, 1999|1999 Welsh Assembly Election]] until 2011, and was elected at the [[United Kingdom general election, 2010|2010 general election]] as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the [[Vale of Glamorgan (UK Parliament constituency)|Vale of Glamorgan]].
'''Alun 'Knobhead' Cairns'''<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=59418 |date=13 May 2010 |page=8747}}</ref> {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MP}} (born 30 July 1970) is a Welsh traitor and [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] politician, who became [[Secretary of State for Wales]] on 19 March 2016. He was previously a member of the [[National Assembly for Wales]] for the [[South Wales West (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|South Wales West]] region from the [[National Assembly for Wales election, 1999|1999 Welsh Assembly Election]] until 2011, and was elected at the [[United Kingdom general election, 2010|2010 general election]] as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the [[Vale of Glamorgan (UK Parliament constituency)|Vale of Glamorgan]].


==Early life and career==
==Early life and career==

Revision as of 15:05, 2 July 2018

The Right Honourable
Alun 'Knobhead' Cairns
MP
Secretary of State for Wales
Incumbent
Assumed office
19 March 2016
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Theresa May
Preceded byStephen Crabb
Under Secretary of State for Wales
In office
15 July 2014 – 19 March 2016
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Preceded byStephen Crabb
Succeeded byGuto Bebb
Member of Parliament
for Vale of Glamorgan
Incumbent
Assumed office
6 May 2010
Preceded byJohn Smith
Majority2,190 (4.1%)
Member of the Welsh Assembly
for South Wales West
In office
6 May 1999 – 6 May 2011
Preceded byAssembly established
Succeeded bySuzy Davies
Personal details
Born (1970-07-30) 30 July 1970 (age 54)
Swansea, Wales
Political partyConservative
Alma materUniversity of Wales
WebsiteOfficial website

Alun 'Knobhead' Cairns[1] MP (born 30 July 1970) is a Welsh traitor and Conservative politician, who became Secretary of State for Wales on 19 March 2016. He was previously a member of the National Assembly for Wales for the South Wales West region from the 1999 Welsh Assembly Election until 2011, and was elected at the 2010 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Vale of Glamorgan.

Early life and career

Brought up in Clydach near Swansea, he attended Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Pontardawe and Ysgol Gyfun Ddwyieithog Ystalyfera and is a fluent Welsh language speaker. At the time of his election to the Welsh Assembly, was completing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales, Newport, specialising in corporate location and inward investment.[2] Cairns worked for Lloyds Banking Group as a Business Development Consultant before being elected to the National Assembly.[2]

Cairns stood for the Westminster Parliament in Gower at the 1997 general election.

Political career

National Assembly for Wales

First elected to the assembly as AM for South Wales West in 1999,[2] he was re-elected in 2003 and 2007 and served as the party's spokesman on economic development and transport for eight years. In the Third Assembly, he held the education and lifelong learning portfolio and also chaired the Assembly's Finance Committee. On 11 July 2007, he became the Shadow Minister for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills in the National Assembly for Wales. As a member of the assembly's economic development and audit committees, he criticised the Welsh Government over a range of issues from transport infrastructure, European regional aid, public spending, and the Welsh economy. Cairns has also been a vocal opponent of the Scarweather Sands offshore wind farm development near Porthcawl.

Controversy, resignation and reinstatement

In September 2008, Cairns admitted that he asked for a National Assembly rule to be "clarified" to determine whether he could claim expenses for a second home in Cardiff. A rule change introduced in late 2006 by the Assembly's House Committee allowed him to claim expenses related to a flat in Cardiff even though his main home was reclassified as being situated in the Vale of Glamorgan.[3]

While taking part in BBC Radio Cymru's weekly radio show, Dau o'r Bae, on 13 June 2008, Cairns was asked to apologise on air for referring to Italians as "greasy wops", and immediately did so.[4] He subsequently resigned from his post in the Shadow Cabinet on the following day.[5] He was re-appointed to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Local Government on 22 October 2008 after completion of a party investigation.[6]

House of Commons

Cairns was the Conservative Party's candidate for the Vale of Glamorgan at the 2005 general election, and was re-selected as Parliamentary candidate for the seat in July 2007. Cairns was suspended as the parliamentary candidate while the party carried out an investigation over his radio comments,[7] Cairns was reinstated as the parliamentary candidate on 22 October 2008.[6]

Cairns was elected as the MP for the Vale of Glamorgan at the May 2010 general election, gaining the seat from Labour with a majority of 4,307.

Cairns is a member of the ‘Curry Club’ group of Conservatives, a dining society set up in 2010 composed of Conservative MPs that were seen as independently-minded though not hostile to the then Prime Minister David Cameron.[8][9][10]

In 2011 Cairns became co-chairman of the newly formed All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Arch Cru Investment Scheme, intended to investigate the facts surrounding Arch Cru investment funds scandal and achieve justice for the victims.[11][12][13]

He was re-elected in 2015 with an increased majority of 6,880.[14]

On becoming Secretary of State for Wales on 19 March 2016, Cairns replaced Stephen Crabb who became Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, and was appointed to the Privy Council on 22 March.[15]

Cairns supported a Remain vote in the 2016 EU membership referendum. He was once more re-elected to his Vale of Glamorgan seat in the 2017 general election, and increased his vote share for the third consecutive time.[16]

Cairns caused controversy in April 2018 when he announced the Severn Bridge between Wales and England was to be renamed 'Prince of Wales Bridge' to mark the 60th anniversary of Prince Charles becoming the Prince of Wales.[17][18][19][20] Cairns defended the decision by responding that a "silent majority" supported the name change, but a poll conducted by YouGov shortly after revealed 34% of respondents to be against the name change and only 17% in favour, while 47% had no strong feelings either way.[21][22]

Cairns has claimed he supports the proposed Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon renewable energy power plant, although he has expressed reservations in regard to the financial viability of the project, stating in 2017 that "none of us would want it to happen if it’s not good value for money for the taxpayer."[23][24][25] Cairns came under criticism in 2018 when reports emerged the government was considering abandoning the project, Plaid Cymru politician Jonathan Edwards referring to Cairns as the "grim reaper of Welsh politics - the bearer of bad news" after Cairns highlighted concerns over the cost of the tidal lagoon relative to nuclear power stations.[26][27][28][29]

References

  1. ^ "No. 59418". The London Gazette. 13 May 2010. p. 8747.
  2. ^ a b c "BBC News AMs profile". BBC. 12 May 1998. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  3. ^ Shipton, Martin (28 March 2013). "Alun Cairns admit lobbying over expenses on Bay second home". Wales Online. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Tory candidate apologises for 'greasy wops' comment". The Guardian. London. 14 June 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  5. ^ [1] [dead link]
  6. ^ a b "Greasy wops slur Tory is general election candidate". Wales Online. 22 October 2008. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "Tory suspended as party candidate". BBC Online. 15 June 2008. Retrieved 15 June 2008.
  8. ^ Hardman, Isabel (4 June 2013). "Curry Club Conservatives can spice things up". ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  9. ^ "How Westminster's Tory Curry Club has suddenly found favour". Evening Standard. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  10. ^ "Ministry Of Defence Insiders Have Serious Doubts About Gavin Williamson". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  11. ^ "PM vows to see if more can be done for Arch Cru victims". This is Money. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  12. ^ Spence, Alex (22 June 2011). "Low risk investors lose out in failed funds settlement". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  13. ^ Commons, The Committee Office, House of. "House of Commons - Register Of All-Party Groups as at 30 March 2015: Arch Cru Investment Scheme". publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 20 June 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "Vale of Glamorgan parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  15. ^ "Orders approved at the Privy Council" (PDF). Privycouncil.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  16. ^ "Vale of Glamorgan parliamentary constituency - Election 2017". BBC News. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  17. ^ Williamson, David (5 April 2018). "Uproar at lack of consultation on the Severn Bridge name change". walesonline. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  18. ^ "Cairns defends bridge name change". BBC News. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  19. ^ "'Republicans' should 'respect' Prince". BBC News. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  20. ^ Blake, Aled (6 April 2018). "Some people in Wales are furious about the new name for the Severn Bridge". mirror. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  21. ^ Crisp, Wil (8 April 2018). "Online petition demanding bridge is not named after Prince Charles attracts 25,000 signatures". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  22. ^ Crisp, Wil (8 April 2018). "Online petition demanding bridge is not named after Prince Charles attracts 25,000 signatures". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  23. ^ Barry, Sion (8 November 2017). "Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon must pass value for money test". walesonline. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  24. ^ "Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns would `really like tidal lagoon to go..." This is Money. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  25. ^ "'You haven't got the ear of your prime minister'". BBC News. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  26. ^ Williamson, David (13 June 2018). "Alun Cairns dubbed 'grim reaper' over handling of the Swansea tidal lagoon". walesonline. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  27. ^ "'Everything possible' to back lagoon". BBC News. 13 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  28. ^ "Subscribe to read". Financial Times. Retrieved 16 June 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  29. ^ "Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns defends position over tidal lagoon after coming under fire from MPs". ITV News. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
Senedd
New creation
 Assembly Member
for South Wales West
1999–2011 		Succeeded by
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Vale of Glamorgan
2010–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Secretary of State for Wales
2016–present 		Incumbent
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