Alun Michael

Last updated

Alun Michael's voice
Michael on the core values of the internet
Recorded 17 November 2009
The Right Honourable
Alun Michael
JP
Alun Michael election infobox.jpeg
Michael in 2009
South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner
Assumed office
22 November 2012

Alun Edward Michael JP (born 22 August 1943) is a Welsh Labour and Co-operative [2] [3] politician serving as South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner since 2012. [4] He served as Secretary of State for Wales from 1998 to 1999 and then as the first First Secretary of Wales (later known as First Minister) and Leader of Welsh Labour from 1999 to 2000.

Contents

Born on the island of Anglesey, Michael attended Colwyn Bay Grammar School and graduated from the University of Keele in 1966 with a degree in Philosophy and English. He worked as a reporter for the South Wales Echo until 1971 and then as a youth and community worker until 1987. He became a Justice of the Peace in 1972 and served on the Cardiff City Council from 1973 to 1989. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1987, succeeding former Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan for the constituency of Cardiff South and Penarth.

In opposition, he was a Shadow Home Affairs Minister and then when Labour came to power in 1997 he served as a Minister of State for Home Affairs until 1998. In October of that year, Ron Davies resigned as Secretary of State for Wales following a personal controversy and Prime Minister Tony Blair appointed Michael to succeed him. In May 1999, following the first elections to the National Assembly for Wales, Michael defeated Rhodri Morgan to become the Leader of Welsh Labour and thus the First Secretary of Wales. The position was later renamed First Minister of Wales under the tenure of his successor.

Michael resigned as Leader of Welsh Labour and First Secretary nine months later to avoid a vote of no confidence. He resigned from the Welsh Assembly shortly after and served in various junior ministerial positions in the Labour government at Westminster. He resigned from the House of Commons in October 2012 to stand for the newly created position of Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales, to which he was elected in November 2012 and again in 2016 and 2021. [5] [6]

Background and family life

Michael was born at Bryngwran, Anglesey, the son of Leslie and Betty Michael. He attended Colwyn Bay Grammar School and studied at Keele University for four years from 1962 to 1966 obtaining a BA degree in Philosophy and English.

Professional career

He was a reporter for the South Wales Echo , a Cardiff-based evening newspaper, where he was a contemporary of Michael Buerk (later to become a distinguished BBC correspondent) and of Sue Lawley (later to become presenter of the BBC magazine programme Nationwide). [7] In his autobiography Michael Buerk wrote "Alun Michael with his ginger toothbrush-moustache and battered corduroy jacket, was a rather Pooterish character for the Sixties. He did not stay in journalism, which was no surprise, but went into politics, which certainly was". [8] Michael in fact left journalism in 1971 and spent 16 years until 1987 as a "youth and community worker" before entering Parliament. [9] In 1972 he was appointed a justice of the peace, chairing the Cardiff Juvenile Bench.

Political career

Michael was a member of Cardiff City Council for the Rumney ward, subsequently the Trowbridge ward from 1973 [10] until 1989.

He became an MP at the 1987 general election, inheriting a safe Labour seat from former prime minister James Callaghan. Michael retained this seat in 1992, 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2010 although with declining majorities at each election from 1997 onwards.

Home Office

Michael was a Shadow Home Affairs Minister while in opposition, prior to becoming a Minister of State in the Home Office (he likes to describe himself as having been "Deputy Home Secretary") [11] following Labour's landslide victory in the 1997 general election. His rhetoric when coming to office differed from the eventual delivery. As Home Office minister, he pledged there would be "no hiding place for paedophiles" as there would "be cases where the public will have to be told directly that a paedophile is in their area. Several frightening cases in recent months have hammered it home that we must act." [12] This policy was not realised, and following the case of eight-year-old Sarah Payne and calls for his original policy to be introduced, Michael agreed with the approach being taken by then Dyfed Powys Chief Constable Terence Grange, who said such a plan would drive paedophiles underground. He said "(Grange) warned of the dangers of having open access leading to paedophiles disappearing and therefore posing an even greater risk". [13] Michael defended his decision not to introduce "Sarah's Law" saying, "These are extremely difficult issues and people are understandably very upset, but there is a danger of serious mistakes being made and this has been shown on a number occasions.". [14]

Michael was however responsible for steering the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 through the House of Commons. Amongst other things, this Act introduced ASBOs or Anti-social Behaviour Orders and statutory crime reduction partnerships. He was also responsible for the Government policy on the voluntary and community sector, and introduced the "compact" process to achieve partnership between Government and that sector. Michael later became a member of the Justice Select Committee from November 2007 to May 2010. While on the committee he took part in enquiries into restorative justice, devolution ten years on, the role of the prison officer, and the work of the Crown Prosecution Service. [15]

Wales career

In May 1997 Ron Davies was appointed by Tony Blair to the cabinet position of Secretary of State for Wales and then, in September 1998, narrowly defeated Rhodri Morgan in an internal contest for the Labour leadership in Wales. The first election for the National Assembly of Wales was due to be held in May 1999. Should Labour form a government, the Welsh Labour leader would then become what was to be called "First Secretary" – potentially giving Ron Davies a role in both the UK and Welsh legislatures.

However, on 27 October 1998, Ron Davies abruptly resigned as Secretary of State for Wales after adverse publicity about his personal life. Tony Blair overlooked Rhodri Morgan (then MP for Cardiff West) and controversially appointed Alun Michael as the new Secretary of State for Wales.

Two days later, on 29 October 1998, Ron Davies also resigned the Labour Leadership in Wales, thus relinquishing his ambition to become First Secretary and initiating another leadership contest. Blair again overlooked Morgan and opted to back Alun Michael as putative First Secretary. According to Neath MP Peter Hain "Rhodri was the party’s favourite and feelings ran very high" but nevertheless, in a volte-face, Hain agreed to run the campaign for Michael who he described as "the establishment candidate". Although Morgan had the overwhelming support of individual Labour Party members, Alun Michael, backed by Blair and by the trade unions, duly won. [16] [17] This episode led to Michael being described as a "famously tetchy Millbank-backed candidate". [18] The affair was described by Peter Kellner as "another fix" in order "to ensure Alun Michael became Labour's leader in Wales" which Kellner said "offended so many voters that it lost some of its safest seats, including Rhondda, to Plaid Cymru". [19] Tony Blair's favourable treatment of Michael was later described by Kellner as a "determination to foist Alun Michael on the people of Wales", which "produced a spectacular collapse of support". [20] Michael stressed his Welsh credentials, as someone who had grown up in North Wales, lived for 30 years in South Wales and was a speaker of Welsh. He had approached Blair at a very early stage to suggest he stood for the Welsh Assembly elections. [21]

The first Assembly election resulted in the Welsh Labour Party winning less than half of the available seats. In the first plenary on 12 May 1999 Michael was elected First Secretary.

ISBN 0-9537829-0-5
  • Labour in Action: Tough on Crime, Tough on the Causes of Crime – a Collection of Essays edited by Alun Michael (Fabian Society, 1997) ISBN   0-7163-3033-4
  • Building the Future Together (Labour Party, 1997)

    • See also

    Related Research Articles

    Plaid Cymru is a centre-left to left-wing, Welsh nationalist political party in Wales, committed to Welsh independence from the United Kingdom.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy</span> British politician (1909–1997)

    Thomas George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy, was a British politician who served as a member of parliament (MP) and Speaker of the House of Commons from 1976 to 1983. He was elected as a Labour MP.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhodri Morgan</span> Welsh Labour politician, Former First Minister of Wales

    Hywel Rhodri Morgan was a Welsh Labour politician who was the First Minister of Wales and the Leader of Welsh Labour from 2000 to 2009. He was also the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011 and the Member of Parliament for Cardiff West from 1987 to 2001. He remains the longest-serving First Minister of Wales, having served in the position for 9 years and 304 days. He was Chancellor of Swansea University from 2011 until his death in 2017.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Davies (Welsh politician)</span> Welsh politician

    Ronald Davies is a retired Welsh politician, former Secretary of State for Wales, former Member of Parliament and former member of the Welsh Assembly. He describes himself as a politician belonging to the "traditional left" who had "spent his life looking for a socialist progressive party". He was a member of the Labour Party, and then of Forward Wales (2004-2009); he was subsequently an independent candidate and eventually joined Plaid Cymru in 2010.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Julie Morgan</span> Welsh Labour politician and Member of the Senedd for Cardiff North

    Julie Morgan is a Welsh Labour Party politician, who has been a Member of the Senedd for Cardiff North seat in the Senedd since the 2011 election. She was previously Member of Parliament (MP) for Cardiff North from 1997 until 2010.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne David</span> Welsh Labour politician, MP for Caerphilly

    Wayne David MP is a Welsh politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Caerphilly since 2001. A member of the Labour Party, he was Leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party from 1994 to 1998. As a Member of the European Parliament, he represented South Wales from 1989 to 1994 and South Wales Central from 1994 to 1999.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Lucas</span> British politician

    Ian Colin Lucas is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wrexham, Wales from 2001 to 2019. He was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Business and Regulatory Reform in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills from 2009 until Labour's defeat at the 2010 General Election.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardiff South and Penarth (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983 onwards

    Cardiff South and Penarth is a constituency created in 1983 represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2012 by Stephen Doughty, a Labour Co-op MP. It is the largest such entity in Wales, with an electorate of 75,175 and one of the most ethnically diverse.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Law</span> Welsh politician

    Peter John Law was a Welsh politician. For most of his career Law sat as a Labour councillor and subsequently Labour Co-operative Assembly member (AM) for Blaenau Gwent. Latterly he sat as an independent member of Parliament (MP) and AM for the same constituency.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Brennan (politician)</span> British Labour politician

    Kevin Denis Brennan is a Welsh Labour politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cardiff West since 2001. He served as a Minister of State at both the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families from 2009 to 2010. Brennan held several junior ministerial offices from 2006 to 2009 at the Treasury, Cabinet Office and Department for Children, Schools and Families. In opposition, he served in various shadow ministerial positions from 2010 to 2020 as a Shadow Minister for BIS, Education, and Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). He has been Shadow Minister for Victims and Sentencing since September 2023.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Alun Cairns</span> British Conservative politician

    Alun Hugh Cairns is a Welsh Conservative Party politician serving as the member of Parliament (MP) for Vale of Glamorgan since 2010. He served as Secretary of State for Wales from 2016 to 2019.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 National Assembly for Wales election</span>

    The 2011 National Assembly for Wales election was an election for the National Assembly. The poll was held on 5 May 2011 and decided the incumbency for all the Assembly's seats. It was the fourth election for seats in the National Assembly for Wales, and the second election taken under the rules of the Government of Wales Act 2006.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Delyth Evans</span> Welsh politician

    Margaret Delyth Evans is a Welsh former politician and charity director who served as Deputy Minister for Rural Affairs, Culture and Environment in the National Assembly for Wales from 2000 to 2003. A member of the Labour Party, she was Assembly Member (AM) for Mid and West Wales from 2000 to 2003.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryngwran</span> Village and community in Anglesey, Wales

    Bryngwran is a village and community in Anglesey Wales, located on the A5 trunk road. It lies 8.1 miles (13.0 km) west of Llangefni, 7.0 miles (11.3 km) south west of Llannerch-y-medd and 7.4 miles (11.9 km) south east of Holyhead, and includes the villages of Bryngwran, Capel Gwyn and Engedi.

    Following the resignation of the sitting MP Alun Michael on 22 October 2012, a by-election for the Cardiff South and Penarth Westminster constituency was held on 15 November 2012.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Doughty</span> Welsh politician and MP

    Stephen John Doughty is a Welsh Labour and Co-operative Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cardiff South and Penarth since 2012. He has been the Shadow Minister for Europe, North America and the Overseas Territories since November 2021.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig Williams (British politician)</span> British politician (born 1985)

    Alun Craig Williams is a British politician who has served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister since October 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cardiff North from 2015 to 2017, when he was defeated for reelection by Labour's Anna McMorrin. At the 2019 general election, Williams was elected as the MP for Montgomeryshire.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna McMorrin</span> British politician (born 1971)

    Anna Rhiannon McMorrin is a Welsh politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cardiff North since 2017. A member of Welsh Labour, she has served as Shadow Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean since September 2023. She was previously Shadow Minister for Victims and Youth Justice from 2021 to 2023 and Shadow Minister for International Development from 2020 to 2021.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 Welsh Labour leadership election</span> Welsh Labour Party leadership election

    The 1999 Welsh Labour leadership election was held on 20 February 1999. Alun Michael was elected as Labour's nominee for First Secretary. Michael would go on to become First Secretary in a minority Labour government following the 1999 Assembly election. Runner up Rhodri Morgan went on to serve in Michael's first cabinet and then succeeded him as First Secretary in February 2000.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 Welsh Labour leadership election</span> Welsh Labour Party leadership election

    The 1998 Welsh Labour Party leadership election was held on 19 September 1998. Secretary of State for Wales Ron Davies was elected as Welsh Labour Leader and nominee for First Secretary.

    References

    1. ↑ "BBC News | WALES | Michael to leave Assembly". news.bbc.co.uk.
    2. ↑ "About the Party: Meet the team". Co-operative Party. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
    3. ↑ "What People have to say about Alun". Alun Michael. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
    4. 1 2 "Alun Michael is new south Wales police and crime commissioner". BBC Wales. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
    5. ↑ "Press Releases – Three Hundreds of Chiltern". Rnn.cabinetoffice.gov.uk. 22 October 2012. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    6. 1 2 David Cornock (18 June 2012). "Welsh Labour names police commissioner candidates". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    7. ↑ "The Reporter's Tale" by Tom Davies Publisher:Berwyn Mountain Press ISBN   9780955353949
    8. ↑ "A Road Taken" by Michael Buerk (Hutchinson 2004)
    9. ↑ "South Wales Police & Crime Commissioner, Rt Hon Alun Michael". www.southwalescommissioner.org.uk. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
    10. ↑ "Cardiff Welsh District Council Election Results 1973-1991" (PDF). The Elections Centre (Plymouth University). Retrieved 1 June 2019.
    11. ↑ "About Alun Michael MP". Alunmichael.com. 22 August 1943. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    12. ↑ "Nightmare on Any Street". The Guardian. 10 June 1997.
    13. ↑ "Naming and Shaming is No Answer say MPs". Western Mail. 17 December 2001.
    14. ↑ "She ripped our family apart and changed my lovely little boyforever". The Wales on Sunday. 21 March 2010.
    15. ↑ "Justice Select Committee". Parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 24 January 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    16. ↑ Shipton, Martin. "Peter Hain on why he backed Alun Michael over Rhodri Morgan for National Assembly's first Labour leader". WalesOnline. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    17. ↑ "Outside In" (autobiography of Peter Hain), Biteback (23 January 2012), ISBN   978-1-84954-118-3
    18. ↑ Waugh, Paul (21 February 2000). "Labour's Mayoral Candidate: Millbank has got its man, but the games aren't over yet". The Independent. London.
    19. ↑ "Peter Kellner: The Welsh". The Evening Standard. 20 July 2000.
    20. ↑ "The Sunday Essay: Brown's Scottish Obsession". Scotland on Sunday . 8 July 2001.
    21. ↑ "Alun Michael: Fighting to be first". BBC News. 17 February 1999. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
    22. ↑ Gibbs, Geoffrey (12 May 1999). "Michael opts for consensus". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 4 October 2019.
    23. ↑ "Welsh Government | Timeline". Wales.gov.uk. 5 October 2011. Archived from the original on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    24. ↑ "Engagements (Hansard, 9 February 2000)". api.parliament.uk.
    25. ↑ Hansard Debates, UK Parliament Publications, March 2003
    26. ↑ Hansard Debates, UK Parliament Publications, March 2003
    27. ↑ "Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill — Third Reading — 18 May 2007 at 13:46 — The Public Whip". Publicwhip.org.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    28. ↑ "BBC News – Cardiff South and Penarth MP Alun Michael wants voting age reduced to 14". Bbc.co.uk. 13 May 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    29. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
    30. ↑ "MPs' expenses: Full list of MPs investigated by the Telegraph" . The Daily Telegraph. 8 May 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    31. ↑ "MP blames 'clerical error' for expenses claim". Archived from the original on 13 February 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
    32. ↑ "Audioboom Search".
    33. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
    34. ↑ Shipton, Martin (21 July 2012). "Alun Michael at the centre of selection row over next Cardiff South MP". WalesOnline. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    35. ↑ "BBC News – Alun Michael is new south Wales police and crime commissioner". Bbc.co.uk. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    36. ↑ "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 11 Dec 2012 (pt 0001)". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    37. ↑ Rawlinson, Kevin; Morris, Steven; Halliday, Josh (9 November 2017). "Carl Sargeant lauded as Welsh first minister prepares statement". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 9 November 2017.
    38. ↑ "False rumours of police chase after death of teens 'sparked Ely riot' - ITV News". ITV News. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
    39. ↑ "Cardiff riots: Police refer themselves to watchdog after crash deaths". BBC News. 23 May 2023.
    40. ↑ "CCTV appears to show police van following bike moments before Ely crash – live". The Independent. 23 May 2023.
    AlunMichael.JPG
    Premiership of Alun Michael
    12 May 1999 –9 February 2000
    Alun Michael
    Parliament of the United Kingdom
    Preceded by Member of Parliament
    for Cardiff South and Penarth
    1987–2012     		Succeeded by
    Political offices
    Preceded by Secretary of State for Wales
    1998–1999    		Succeeded by
    New office First Secretary for Wales
    1999–2000    		Succeeded by
    Party political offices
    New office Leader of Welsh Labour
    1999–2000    		Succeeded by
    Senedd
    New constituency Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales
    1999–2000    		Succeeded by
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.