Alun Michael
Encyclopedia
Alun Edward Michael is a British
Labour
Co-operative
politician
, who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Cardiff South and Penarth since 1987
. He was formerly First Minister of Wales and leader of the Welsh Labour Party from 1999 to 2000.
, son of Leslie and Betty Michael. He attended Colwyn Bay Grammar School and Keele University
.
, he became a JP in 1972 and chaired the Cardiff Juvenile Bench before entering Parliament. He was a Cardiff City councillor from 1973 to 1989.
, inheriting a safe Labour seat from former Prime Minister
James Callaghan
. With Labour's landslide victory in the 1997 general election
, he became Minister of State and Deputy Home Secretary in the Home Office
. He was 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.
Also in 1998, following the resignation of Ron Davies, he was made Secretary of State for Wales
, and later on First Secretary (the title would be changed to First Minister in October 2000) and leader of the Labour Party in the National Assembly for Wales
. While he was the favoured candidate of the Westminster government for this role, he was less popular within Wales, and resigned in favour of Rhodri Morgan
after opposition parties forced a vote of "no confidence" over the availability of Objective 1 funding from the European Union
.
In 2001, he was appointed Minister of State
for Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality, a post within DEFRA. He was the minister most closely connected with a ban on hunting with dogs
, for which he attracted much criticism from hunt supporters. Michael was criticized for citing the research of Sir Patrick Bateson
as "incontrovertible
proof" of the need for a total ban. Sir Patrick said, "Only somebody who was scientifically illiterate could argue that evidence from a new area of research was 'incontrovertible'" but Michael claimed that Bateson had misunderstood the way his work had been cited.
In 2004, he presided over the enactment of the Hunting Act
which banned hare coursing
, beagling
, fox hunting
, mink
and stag hunting in the UK from February 2005. At the time this law was being debated, and immediately after it was passed, Michael maintained his visits to rural areas despite threats and protest, but withdrew from the event to launch the "Right to Roam" stating that access to the countryside was too important to be interrupted by pro-hunt protestors whose plans could put the public at risk. Michael maintained that hunting was a "peripheral issue" citing social and economic issues in rural areas as "the day job". In 2004, he formally approved the order designating the New Forest
as a National Park
.
Michael retained his seat in the 2005 general election
, and was moved to a ministerial post in the Department of Trade and Industry as Minister of State for Industry and the Regions. He lost his ministerial position in the Cabinet reshuffle in May 2006 and has thus returned to the backbenches.
Michael again retained his seat in the 2010 general election.
Michael's former assistant, Lorraine Barrett
, is the Welsh Assembly member for Cardiff South and Penarth.
Michael married in 1966 Mary Sophia Crawley, who was also at Keele University. They had five children.
Alun was 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.
Welsh Affairs Select Committee (2007–2010)
Alun sat on the Welsh Affairs Select Committee from November 2007 to May 2010. In that time they ran enquiries on cross Border Provision of Public Services, Globalization, and Digital Inclusion.
Since the Government of Wales Act 2006 the Welsh Affairs Select Committee has been responsible for scrutinizing requests that come from the National Assembly for Wales for powers to be transferred to them, known as Legislative Competence Orders.
Home Affairs Select Committee (2010 -)
After the 2010 election Michael was elected to the Home Affairs Select Committee.
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United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Labour
Wales Labour Party
Welsh Labour is the part of the United Kingdom Labour Party that operates in Wales. Labour is the largest and most successful political party in modern Welsh politics, having won the largest share of the vote at every UK General Election since 1922, every Welsh Assembly election since 1999, and...
Co-operative
Co-operative Party
The Co-operative Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom committed to supporting and representing co-operative principles. The party does not put up separate candidates for any UK election itself. Instead, Co-operative candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party as "Labour...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, who has been the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Cardiff South and Penarth since 1987
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
. He was formerly First Minister of Wales and leader of the Welsh Labour Party from 1999 to 2000.
Education
Michael was born at Bryngwran AngleseyAnglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, son of Leslie and Betty Michael. He attended Colwyn Bay Grammar School and Keele University
Keele University
Keele University is a campus university near Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as an experimental college dedicated to a broad curriculum and interdisciplinary study, Keele is most notable for pioneering the dual honours degree in Britain...
.
Professional career
He was a youth and community worker from 1971 to 1987; having previously been a Reporter on the South Wales EchoSouth Wales Echo
The South Wales Echo is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Cardiff, Wales and distributed throughout the surrounding area.The newspaper was founded in 1884 and was based in Thomson House, Cardiff city centre. It is published by Media Wales Ltd , part of the Trinity Mirror group...
, he became a JP in 1972 and chaired the Cardiff Juvenile Bench before entering Parliament. He was a Cardiff City councillor from 1973 to 1989.
Political career
He became an MP at the 1987 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
, inheriting a safe Labour seat from former Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
James Callaghan
James Callaghan
Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
. With Labour's landslide victory in the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
, he became Minister of State and Deputy Home Secretary in the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
. He was responsible for steering the Crime and Disorder Act 1998
Crime and Disorder Act 1998
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act was published on 2 December 1997 and received Royal Assent in July 1998...
through the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. Amongst other things, this Act introduced ASBOs or Anti-social Behaviour Orders
Anti-Social Behaviour Order
An Anti-Social Behaviour Order or ASBO is a civil order made against a person who has been shown, on the balance of evidence, to have engaged in anti-social behaviour. The orders, introduced in the United Kingdom by Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998, were designed to correct minor incidents that...
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.
Also in 1998, following the resignation of Ron Davies, he was made Secretary of State for Wales
Secretary of State for Wales
The Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the British cabinet. He or she is responsible for ensuring Welsh interests are taken into account by the government, representing the government within Wales and overseeing the passing of legislation which is only for Wales...
, and later on First Secretary (the title would be changed to First Minister in October 2000) and leader of the Labour Party in the National Assembly for Wales
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
. While he was the favoured candidate of the Westminster government for this role, he was less popular within Wales, and resigned in favour of Rhodri Morgan
Rhodri Morgan
Hywel Rhodri Morgan is a Welsh Labour politician who, as First Secretary for Wales, and subsequently First Minister, was leader of the Welsh Assembly Government from 2000 to 2009. A former leader of Welsh Labour, he was the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011...
after opposition parties forced a vote of "no confidence" over the availability of Objective 1 funding from the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
In 2001, he was appointed Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
for Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality, a post within DEFRA. He was the minister most closely connected with a ban on hunting with dogs
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
, for which he attracted much criticism from hunt supporters. Michael was criticized for citing the research of Sir Patrick Bateson
Patrick Bateson
Sir Patrick Bateson, FRS is an English biologist and science writer. Bateson is emeritus professor of ethology at Cambridge University and president of the Zoological Society of London since 2004....
as "incontrovertible
Incontrovertible evidence
Incontrovertible evidence is a colloquial term for evidence introduced to prove a fact that is supposed to be so conclusive that there can be no other truth as to the matter; evidence so strong it overpowers contrary evidence, directing a fact-finder to a specific and certain conclusion.Examples: a...
proof" of the need for a total ban. Sir Patrick said, "Only somebody who was scientifically illiterate could argue that evidence from a new area of research was 'incontrovertible'" but Michael claimed that Bateson had misunderstood the way his work had been cited.
In 2004, he presided over the enactment of the Hunting Act
Hunting Act 2004
The Hunting Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The effect of the Act is to outlaw hunting with dogs in England and Wales from 18 February 2005...
which banned hare coursing
Hare coursing
Hare coursing is the pursuit of hares with greyhounds and other sighthounds, which chase the hare by sight and not by scent. It is a competitive sport, in which dogs are tested on their ability to run, overtake and turn a hare, rather than a form of hunting aiming at the capture of game. It has a...
, beagling
Beagling
Beagling is the hunting of hares, rabbits, and occasionally foxes with beagles. A beagle pack is usually followed on foot. However, there is one pack of beagles in the U.S. which are distinguished as being the only hunting pack to hunt fox and be followed on horseback...
, fox hunting
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
, mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
and stag hunting in the UK from February 2005. At the time this law was being debated, and immediately after it was passed, Michael maintained his visits to rural areas despite threats and protest, but withdrew from the event to launch the "Right to Roam" stating that access to the countryside was too important to be interrupted by pro-hunt protestors whose plans could put the public at risk. Michael maintained that hunting was a "peripheral issue" citing social and economic issues in rural areas as "the day job". In 2004, he formally approved the order designating the New Forest
New Forest
The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
as a National Park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
.
Michael retained his seat in the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
, and was moved to a ministerial post in the Department of Trade and Industry as Minister of State for Industry and the Regions. He lost his ministerial position in the Cabinet reshuffle in May 2006 and has thus returned to the backbenches.
Michael again retained his seat in the 2010 general election.
Michael's former assistant, Lorraine Barrett
Lorraine Barrett
Lorraine Barrett is a former Welsh Labour & Co-operative Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Cardiff South and Penarth and an Assembly Commissioner since 2007...
, is the Welsh Assembly member for Cardiff South and Penarth.
Michael married in 1966 Mary Sophia Crawley, who was also at Keele University. They had five children.
Committees
Justice Select Committee (2007–2010)Alun was 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.
Welsh Affairs Select Committee (2007–2010)
Alun sat on the Welsh Affairs Select Committee from November 2007 to May 2010. In that time they ran enquiries on cross Border Provision of Public Services, Globalization, and Digital Inclusion.
Since the Government of Wales Act 2006 the Welsh Affairs Select Committee has been responsible for scrutinizing requests that come from the National Assembly for Wales for powers to be transferred to them, known as Legislative Competence Orders.
Home Affairs Select Committee (2010 -)
After the 2010 election Michael was elected to the Home Affairs Select Committee.
External links
- Rt Hon Alun Michael MP official constituency website
- Alun Michael MP Welsh Labour Party profile
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