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
Official portrait of Alun Michael PCC (cropped).jpg
Official portrait, 2020
South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner
In office
22 November 2012 –8 May 2024

Alun Edward Michael JP (born 22 August 1943) is a Welsh Labour and Co-operative [2] [3] retired politician. 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. He went on to serve as South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner from 2012 to 2024. [4]

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 and Leader of Welsh Labour following the "Moment of Madness" scandal and Prime Minister Tony Blair appointed Michael to succeed him in the former role. In May 1999, following the first elections to the National Assembly for Wales, Michael defeated Rhodri Morgan to become the new Welsh Labour leader and thus the inaugural 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 re-elected in 2016 and 2021. [5] [6] In June 2023 it was announced he would not contest the 2024 election; he was succeeded by his deputy Emma Wools on 8 May 2024, after her electoral victory the previous week. [7]

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). [8] 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". [9] Michael in fact left journalism in 1971 and spent 16 years until 1987 as a "youth and community worker" before entering Parliament. [10] 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 [11] 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") [12] 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." [13] 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". [14] 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.". [15]

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. [16]

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 Davies a role in both the UK and Welsh legislatures.

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

Two days later, on 29 October 1998, 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 Michael for the position. 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, Michael, backed by Blair and by the trade unions, won the election. [17] [18] This episode led to Michael being described as a "famously tetchy Millbank-backed candidate". [19] 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". [20] 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". [21] 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. [22]

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

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhodri Morgan</span> First Minister of Wales from 2000 to 2009

    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">Wayne David</span> Welsh Labour politician (born 1957)

    Sir Wayne David is a Welsh politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Caerphilly from 2001 to 2024. 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">Tony Lloyd</span> British politician (1950–2024)

    Sir Anthony Joseph Lloyd was a British Labour politician. He served as a member of Parliament (MP) for 36 years, making him one of the longest-serving MPs in recent history. He served as MP for Stretford from 1983 to 1997, Manchester Central from 1997 to 2012, and represented Rochdale from 2017 until his death in 2024. He was Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner between 2012 and 2017 and served as the interim Mayor of Greater Manchester in his last two years in the role.

    <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">Lorraine Barrett</span> Welsh politician (born 1950)

    Lorraine Jayne Barrett is a former Welsh Labour & Co-operative Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Cardiff South and Penarth and an Assembly Commissioner from 2007 until 2011.

    <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 was the largest constituency 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.

    There are four types of elections in Wales: elections to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elections to the devolved Senedd, local elections to community councils and the 22 principal areas, and the police and crime commissioner elections. In addition there are by-elections for each aforementioned election. Elections are held on Election Day, which is conventionally a Thursday. Three of these four types of elections are held after fixed periods; the exception is UK general elections, the timing of which is at the discretion of the prime minister of the United Kingdom. Senedd elections may be postponed to avoid elections to the UK parliament and Senedd coinciding with each other.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Christine Gwyther</span> Welsh politician (born 1959)

    Christine Margery Gwyther is a Welsh Labour politician, who served as Member of the Welsh Assembly for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire from the Assembly's founding 1999 to 2007. She was also the first person to hold responsibility for Agriculture in the Welsh Government, serving as Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development from May 1999 to July 2000. She lost her seat in the 2007 Welsh Assembly Elections, to Conservative candidate Angela Burns.

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

    Alun Hugh Cairns is a Welsh Conservative politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Vale of Glamorgan from 2010 to 2024. He served as Secretary of State for Wales from 2016 to 2019.

    <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 (born 1980)

    Stephen John Doughty is a Welsh Labour Co-op politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Cardiff South and Penarth since 2012. He has served as Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories since July 2024.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Hoare</span> British politician (born 1969)

    Simon James Hoare is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Dorset since 2015. He was formerly Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Government from November 2023 until July 2024.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Jo Stevens</span> British politician (born 1966)

    Joanna Meriel Stevens is a Welsh politician serving as Secretary of State for Wales since 2024. A member of the Labour Party, she has been a Member of Parliament (MP) since 2015, representing Cardiff East since 2024, having previously represented Cardiff Central.

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

    Alun Craig Williams is a British politician who was Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister from October 2022 until June 2024. 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 the Labour Party's Anna McMorrin. In 2019, Williams was elected as the MP for Montgomeryshire, but lost the seat in the 2024 general election.

    <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 Assistant Government Whip since 2024.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Welsh Labour leadership election</span> Welsh Labour Party leadership election

    The 2000 Labour Party in Wales leadership election was held on 11 February 2000 after the resignation of Alun Michael as first secretary of Wales and leader of the Labour Party in Wales on 9 February 2000. Rhodri Morgan, who had unsuccessfully challenged Michael in the previous leadership election in 1999, was elected unopposed as the new leader of the party in the National Assembly for Wales and was later nominated unopposed by the assembly as the new first secretary on 15 February.

    <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. 1 2 "PCC elections: Who is standing in Wales' police elections?". BBC News. 10 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
    8. ↑ "The Reporter's Tale" by Tom Davies Publisher:Berwyn Mountain Press ISBN   9780955353949
    9. ↑ "A Road Taken" by Michael Buerk (Hutchinson 2004)
    10. ↑ "South Wales Police & Crime Commissioner, Rt Hon Alun Michael". www.southwalescommissioner.org.uk. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
    11. ↑ "Cardiff Welsh District Council Election Results 1973-1991" (PDF). The Elections Centre (Plymouth University). Retrieved 1 June 2019.
    12. ↑ "About Alun Michael MP". Alunmichael.com. 22 August 1943. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    13. ↑ "Nightmare on Any Street". The Guardian. 10 June 1997.
    14. ↑ "Naming and Shaming is No Answer say MPs". Western Mail. 17 December 2001.
    15. ↑ "She ripped our family apart and changed my lovely little boyforever". The Wales on Sunday. 21 March 2010.
    16. ↑ "Justice Select Committee". Parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 24 January 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    17. ↑ 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.
    18. ↑ "Outside In" (autobiography of Peter Hain), Biteback (23 January 2012), ISBN   978-1-84954-118-3
    19. ↑ Waugh, Paul (21 February 2000). "Labour's Mayoral Candidate: Millbank has got its man, but the games aren't over yet". The Independent. London.
    20. ↑ "Peter Kellner: The Welsh". The Evening Standard. 20 July 2000.
    21. ↑ "The Sunday Essay: Brown's Scottish Obsession". Scotland on Sunday . 8 July 2001.
    22. ↑ "Alun Michael: Fighting to be first". BBC News. 17 February 1999. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
    23. ↑ Gibbs, Geoffrey (12 May 1999). "Michael opts for consensus". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 4 October 2019.
    24. ↑ "Welsh Government | Timeline". Wales.gov.uk. 5 October 2011. Archived from the original on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    25. ↑ "Engagements (Hansard, 9 February 2000)". api.parliament.uk.
    26. ↑ Hansard Debates, UK Parliament Publications, March 2003
    27. ↑ Hansard Debates, UK Parliament Publications, March 2003
    28. ↑ "Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill — Third Reading — 18 May 2007 at 13:46 — The Public Whip". Publicwhip.org.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    29. ↑ "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.
    30. ↑ "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)
    31. ↑ "MPs' expenses: Full list of MPs investigated by the Telegraph" . The Daily Telegraph. 8 May 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    32. ↑ "MP blames 'clerical error' for expenses claim". Archived from the original on 13 February 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
    33. ↑ "Audioboom Search".
    34. ↑ "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)
    35. ↑ Shipton, Martin (21 July 2012). "Alun Michael at the centre of selection row over next Cardiff South MP". WalesOnline. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    36. ↑ "BBC News – Alun Michael is new south Wales police and crime commissioner". Bbc.co.uk. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    37. ↑ "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 11 Dec 2012 (pt 0001)". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
    38. ↑ 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.
    39. ↑ "False rumours of police chase after death of teens 'sparked Ely riot' - ITV News". ITV News. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
    40. ↑ "Cardiff riots: Police refer themselves to watchdog after crash deaths". BBC News. 23 May 2023.
    41. ↑ "CCTV appears to show police van following bike moments before Ely crash – live". The Independent. 23 May 2023.
    42. ↑ Boad, Claire (3 May 2024). "First female Police and Crime Commissioners elected in Wales". Rayo. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
    43. ↑ Birt, Elizabeth (8 November 2024). "Alun Michael welcomed as new Action for Children ambassador". Penarth Times. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
    44. ↑ Favorido, Niki (4 November 2024). "Cardiff Castle reception for new Action for Children ambassador Alun Michael". Herald.Wales. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
    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.