32 Facts About Alun Cairns

Alun Cairns served as Secretary of State for Wales from 2016 to 2019.

Alun Cairns was previously a member of the National Assembly for Wales for the South Wales West region from 1999 to 2011.

Alun Cairns was born on 30 July 1970 in Swansea, Wales to Hewitt and Margaret Alun Cairns.

Alun Cairns attended Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Pontardawe and Ysgol Gyfun Ddwyieithog Ystalyfera.

Alun Cairns's father was a welder at Port Talbot Steelworks, and his mother was a shopkeeper.

Alun Cairns completed an MBA at University of Wales, Newport.

Alun Cairns worked as a petrol pump attendant before working for Lloyds Bank in 1989.

Alun Cairns became a business development manager in 1992, and then field manager for the bank in 1998.

Alun Cairns stood as the Conservative Party candidate for Gower at the 1997 general election.

Alun Cairns came second in the constituency which had been represented by the Labour Party since 1910.

Alun Cairns has been a vocal opponent of the Scarweather Sands offshore wind farm development near Porthcawl.

In September 2008, Alun Cairns said that he asked for a National Assembly rule to be "clarified" to determine whether he could claim expenses for a second home in Cardiff.

Alun Cairns subsequently resigned from his post in the Shadow Cabinet on the following day.

Alun Cairns was re-appointed to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Local Government on 22 October 2008 after completion of a party investigation.

Alun Cairns was the Conservative Party's candidate for Vale of Glamorgan at the 2005 general election, and was re-selected as the Parliamentary candidate for the seat in July 2007.

Alun Cairns was suspended as the Parliamentary candidate while the party carried out an investigation over his radio comments; he was reinstated as the Parliamentary candidate on 22 October 2008.

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

Alun 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 prime minister David Cameron.

In 2011 Alun 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.

Alun Cairns was re-elected in 2015 with an increased majority of 6,880.

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

Alun Cairns supported a Remain vote in the 2016 EU membership referendum.

Alun Cairns 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 occasion.

In February 2018, during a meeting of the Welsh Grand Committee, Alun Cairns became one of the first MPs ever to speak the Welsh language in a Westminster parliamentary debate.

Alun Cairns was criticised by some Labour and Plaid Cymru politicians 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.

In Parliament, Alun Cairns has previously served on the Public Administration Committee and Welsh Affairs Committee.

Alun Cairns believes the best route out of poverty is through employment.

In 2014 Alun Cairns spoke in favour of fox hunting, stating it is a part of "countryside conservation".

Alun Cairns said in 2018 that society was only on "step one" of gender equality, and further progress had to be made.

Alun Cairns believes all of society stands to gain from gender equality because the UK economy depends on "harnessing the talent of women, capitalising on the wealth of skill they bring to our workplaces".

Alun Cairns supported remaining in the European Union in the 2016 UK European Union membership referendum.

Alun Cairns is an avid marathon runner, and as of 2018 has completed seven runs of the London Marathon.