41 Facts About Alun Michael

Alun Edward Michael was born on 22 August 1943 and is a Welsh Labour and Co-operative politician serving as South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner since 2012.

Alun Michael served as Secretary of State for Wales from 1998 to 1999 and then as the first First Secretary of Wales and Leader of Welsh Labour from 1999 to 2000.

Alun Michael worked as a reporter for the South Wales Echo until 1971 and then as a youth and community worker until 1987.

Alun Michael became a Justice of the Peace in 1972 and served on the Cardiff City Council from 1973 to 1989.

Alun Michael 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 May 1999, following the first elections to the National Assembly for Wales, Alun Michael defeated Rhodri Morgan to become the Leader of Welsh Labour and thus the First Secretary of Wales.

Alun Michael resigned as Leader of Welsh Labour and First Secretary nine months later to avoid a vote of no confidence.

Alun Michael resigned from the Welsh Assembly shortly after and served in various junior ministerial positions in the Labour government at Westminster.

Alun Michael 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.

Alun Michael was born at Bryngwran, Anglesey, the son of Leslie and Betty Alun Michael.

Alun Michael 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.

Alun Michael was a reporter for the South Wales Echo, a Cardiff-based evening newspaper, where he was a contemporary of Michael Buerk and of Sue Lawley.

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

Alun Michael became an MP at the 1987 general election, inheriting a safe Labour seat from former prime minister James Callaghan.

Alun Michael retained this seat in 1992,1997,2001,2005 and 2010 although with declining majorities at each election from 1997 onwards.

Alun Michael was a Shadow Home Affairs Minister while in opposition, prior to becoming a Minister of State in the Home Office following Labour's landslide victory in the 1997 general election.

Alun Michael said " warned of the dangers of having open access leading to paedophiles disappearing and therefore posing an even greater risk".

Alun Michael was however responsible for steering the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 through the House of Commons.

Alun Michael was responsible for the Government policy on the voluntary and community sector, and introduced the "compact" process to achieve partnership between Government and that sector.

Alun Michael later became a member of the Justice Select Committee from November 2007 to May 2010.

Alun 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.

Alun Michael had approached Blair at a very early stage to suggest he stood for the Welsh Assembly elections.

Rather than form a coalition, Alun Michael took the unconventional route of forming a minority government, believing that this offered the potential for a more collaborative and democratic approach to the work of the Assembly.

On 9 February 2000, after less than nine months in office, Alun Michael resigned in an attempt to avoid a vote of "no confidence" over the availability of Objective 1 funding from the European Union.

Alun Michael sat on the Welsh Affairs Select Committee from November 2007 to May 2010 and resigned as an MP on 22 October 2012.

Alun Michael was the minister most closely connected with a ban on hunting with dogs, for which he attracted much criticism from hunt supporters.

Alun Michael was criticised 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 Alun Michael claimed that Bateson had misunderstood the way his work had been cited.

At the time this law was being debated, and immediately after it was passed, Alun 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.

Alun Michael maintained that hunting was a "peripheral issue" citing social and economic issues in rural areas as "the day job".

In 2005 Alun Michael was moved to a ministerial post in the Department of Trade and Industry as Minister of State for Industry and the Regions, where he served only one year before he was returned to the backbenches in the Cabinet reshuffle of May 2006.

On 18 May 2007 Alun Michael was among the majority of MPs who voted in favour of exempting MPs from having to disclose information under the act.

Alun Michael was one of the MPs who was investigated by The Daily Telegraph in its probe into MPs Expenses Claims in 2009.

Alun Michael said "The council tax payment came at a time when I was under a lot of stress politically".

In 2011, Alun Michael was investigated by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority over his website.

Alun Michael was given 20 days to amend his website but was not required to pay back the money he had been paid.

On 18 June 2012, Alun Michael was chosen as the Labour Party candidate for the inaugural election for Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales.

On 13 July 2012 the Western Mail reported that Alun Michael had been "interfering inappropriately" in the selection process for his replacement in Cardiff South and Penarth, to ensure his preferred candidate was included on the shortlist.

Alun Michael responded that he did speak to Ed Miliband, to the party's general secretary Iain McNicol and members of the National Executive Committee, with the purpose to stop a candidate from outside being imposed on the local party.

On 9 November 2017 Alun Michael asked Carwyn Jones to define the allegations made against Carl Sargeant, the former Welsh assembly member who apparently took his own life.

Should Alun Michael be found to have misled the public he should resign.