20 Facts About Hywel Francis

David Hywel Francis was a British politician who served as Member of Parliament for Aberavon from 2001 to 2015.

Hywel Francis studied at the University of Wales, Swansea, where he earned a doctorate in history.

Hywel Francis was the chair of the Wales Congress in Support of Mining Communities.

Hywel Francis was a member of the Gorsedd Cymru from 1986.

Hywel Francis was made vice-president of Carers UK and honorary parliamentary patron of the adult learners' body, NIACE.

Hywel Francis was a trustee of the Paul Robeson Wales Trust and the Bevan Foundation he founded.

Hywel Francis authored many peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and several books.

Hywel Francis was the son of Dai Francis, who led the South Wales NUM during the industrial unrest of the 1970s.

In 1999, Hywel Francis became a special adviser to Paul Murphy, the Secretary of State for Wales; Murphy worked in this position until 2000.

Hywel Francis was the chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee from 2005 to 2010; chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Archives and History, formerly chair of the APPG on Steel and Cast Metal; and chair of the All-Party Carers Group.

Hywel Francis voted in favour of a bill that banned smoking in restaurants in April 2003.

Hywel Francis voted in favour of the NHS foundation trust proposal.

Hywel Francis voted in favour of allowing unmarried heterosexual and homosexual couples to adopt, and in favour of the Civil Partnership Bill.

Hywel Francis voted in favour of the replacement of the Trident system.

Hywel Francis voted in favour of adding clauses to a bill that allow the Secretary of State to detain indefinitely, pending deportation, anyone he suspects is a terrorist, even if the law forbids that person's deportation from ever taking place.

Hywel Francis voted against only allowing people detained at a police station to be fingerprinted and searched for an identifying birthmark if it is in connection with a terrorism investigation.

In February 2011, it was reported that Hywel Francis had been quoted in a leaked US diplomatic cable.

Hywel Francis was quoted as claiming that all of the prospective candidates who were already members of the Welsh Assembly were seen as flawed by the Welsh Labour Party and suggesting that many in the party were hoping for a "white knight" to be "parachute[d] in" from outside the Assembly.

On 22 November 2013, Hywel Francis announced he would be standing down as MP for Aberavon at the 2015 general election.

Hywel Francis died aged 74 from cancer on 14 February 2021, at Morriston Hospital in Swansea, Wales.