Alun Cairns

Early life and career

Cairns was born on 30 July 1970 in Swansea, Wales to Hewitt and Margaret Cairns. He grew up in the village of Clydach. He attended the state-sector schools Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Pontardawe and Ysgol Gyfun Ddwyieithog Ystalyfera. His father was a welder at Port Talbot Steelworks, and his mother was a shopkeeper. He completed an MBA at University of Wales, Newport (now University of South Wales). Cairns worked as a petrol pump attendant before working for Lloyds Bank in 1989. He became a business development manager in 1992, and then field manager for the bank in 1998.

Political career

Cairns stood as the Conservative Party candidate for Gower at the 1997 general election. He came second in the constituency which had been represented by the Labour Party since 1910.

National Assembly for Wales

First elected as AM for South Wales West in 1999, before standing down at the 2011 Welsh Assembly election, having been elected to the UK parliament at the General Election the year prior. While in the assembly he served in a number of frontbench and shadow cabinet roles for the Welsh Conservatives.

Shortly after being elected to the assembly he was appointed as Economic Affairs and Europe spokesperson by leader Rod Richards. Nick Bourne retained him in this role after becoming leader of the Welsh Conservatives. Cairns was re-elected at the 2003 Welsh Assembly election and again retained in the economic development portfolio, also with responsibility for transport. He held this role until the until the 2007 Welsh Assembly election, when he was again re-elected.

After the 2007 election he was appointed by Nick Bourne as Welsh Conservative Spokesperson for Education and Lifelong Learning. He became Shadow Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning on 11 July 2007, after the One Wales coalition was formed, leaving the Welsh Conservatives as the Official Opposition.

In September 2008, 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. A rule change introduced in late 2006 by the Assembly's House Committee allowed him to claim expenses related to a flat in Cardiff even though his main home was reclassified as being situated in the Vale of Glamorgan.

While taking part in BBC Radio Cymru's weekly radio show, Dau o'r Bae, on 13 June 2008, Cairns was asked to apologise on air for referring to Italians as "greasy wops", and immediately did so. He subsequently resigned from his post in the Shadow Cabinet on the following day. He was re-appointed to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Local Government on 22 October 2008 after completion of a party investigation. In February 2009 he was reshuffled to be the Welsh Conservatives' Chief Whip and Business Manager, as well as Shadow Minister for Heritage. He stood down from these roles, and the Assembly, at the 2011 Welsh Assembly election.

As a member of the assembly's economic development and audit committees, he criticised the Welsh Government over a range of issues from transport infrastructure, European regional aid, public spending, and the Welsh economy. Cairns has also been a vocal opponent of the Scarweather Sands offshore wind farm development near Porthcawl.

House of Commons

Whilst serving as an Assembly Member, Cairns, along with then fellow Conservative AM Rod Richards, contested the Conservative selection of Clwyd West ahead of the May 2001 general election, both were unsuccessful.

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. 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.

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.

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 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.

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

On 15 August 2022, Cairns changed his support from Rishi Sunak to Liz Truss in the July–September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election.

Secretary of State for Wales

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

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

After re-election, in July 2017, Cairns announced that tolls on the Severn bridges from England into Wales would be abolished by the end of the following year, a move which he said could boost the south Wales economy by about £100m a year.

In February 2018, during a meeting of the Welsh Grand Committee, Cairns became one of the first MPs ever to speak the Welsh language in a Westminster parliamentary debate. He commented: "I am proud to be using the language I grew up speaking, which is not only important to me, my family and the communities Welsh MPs represent, but is also an integral part of Welsh history and culture."

Cairns was criticised by some Labour and Plaid Cymru politicians in April 2018 when he announced the Second Severn Crossing between Wales and England was to be renamed as 'Prince of Wales Bridge' to mark the 60th anniversary of Prince Charles becoming the Prince of Wales. Cairns defended the decision by responding that a "silent majority" supported the name change, but a poll conducted by YouGov shortly after revealed 34% of respondents to be against the name change and only 17% in favour, while 47% had no strong feelings either way.

Cairns has said he supports the proposed Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon renewable energy power plant, although he has expressed reservations in regard to the financial viability of the project, stating in 2017 that "none of us would want it to happen if it's not good value for money for the taxpayer." Cairns came under criticism in 2018 when reports emerged the Government was considering abandoning the project, Plaid Cymru politician Jonathan Edwards referring to Cairns as the "grim reaper of Welsh politics – the bearer of bad news" after Cairns highlighted concerns over the cost of the tidal lagoon relative to nuclear power stations.

In June 2018, the UK Government announced that the plans for the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon would be scrapped. This led to Plaid Cymru tabling a motion of no confidence in Cairns at the National Assembly for Wales, a vote that if passed would not have forced Cairns to resign as Welsh Secretary but rather would serve as symbolic disapproval. The motion was defeated, with 9 in favour to 40 against, on 27 June.

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

In July 2019, he apologised for voting against same-sex marriage in 2013, stating: "I regret the decision to vote against it and see the positive difference it has made to the lives of many".

He resigned from the Government on 6 November 2019, after evidence emerged that he had known about his former aide Ross England's role in the "sabotaging" of a rape trial, whom he later endorsed as a candidate for the Senedd. A Cabinet Office inquiry found that there was no evidence of his having breached the ministerial code; However, whilst concluding the enquiry Sir Alex Allan wrote: "I find it unlikely that Mr Cairns would not have been told something about Mr England's role when he was told about the collapse. But all those involved state that they had not informed Mr Cairns of Mr England's role, and there is no direct evidence to contradict this. On that basis, I do not find that the evidence upholds the allegations of a breach of the ministerial code." The rape victim, who had worked for Cairns alongside England, later claimed that the inquiry was "a sham".

In July 2024, Carins contested the Vale of Glamorgan seat as the Conservative candidate for the 2024 General Election, but he was defeated by the Labour Party candidate Kanishka Narayan.

Post-parliamentary career

Since his defeat at the 2024 general election, Cairns has worked as a freelance consultant, advising on Business and Policy.

Views

Cairns believes the best route out of poverty is through employment. At a live BBC event in 2017, he said "Getting a job is absolutely the best way out of poverty", but that increasing the personal allowance for tax and raising the National Living Wage were also important.

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

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

BBC

As a member of the Downing Street Policy Board in 2013, Cairns said that it was the duty of the BBC to educate children about online dangers such as grooming and adult content, and implied it could be done through television shows such as EastEnders which he said had educated the public in the past on issues like HIV. Cairns said "the BBC's mission statement and stated public purposes fit perfectly for it to become the trusted source of advice on how to protect children online." In relation to the television licence fee, Cairns described it as "probably the UK's most regressive tax", and stressed this meant transparency was vital. Despite this, Cairns considers himself a "critical friend" of the BBC.

European Union

Cairns supported remaining in the European Union in the 2016 UK European Union membership referendum. In the campaign period leading up to the referendum, in a government pamphlet sent to all homes across Wales, he stated: "One thing I think we can all agree on is that Europe needs reform. The Prime Minister has fought hard to get a deal which gives the UK the protections it needs." He further stated that the UK had achieved "a special status" within Europe and how the deal negotiated would allow Britain to avoid "the Euro, open borders or the prospect of ever-closer union."

After the UK voted to leave the European Union, Cairns came out in support of Brexit. In June 2017 he rejected the idea of the UK remaining in the EU single market in a 'soft' Brexit. In March 2018 he said he was "delighted" economic predictions about Brexit had been "proven wrong", adding: "I think people should be excited about the new opportunities as we leave the European Union." In November 2018 he endorsed Prime Minister Theresa May's negotiated agreement with the European Union on the United Kingdom's exit terms, though he said: "I don't like every element of this document because we've compromised".

Welsh government

Cairns is a proponent of government decentralisation for Wales. He has noted specifically the example of English devolution and how it has created a "new dynamic" in England, one which he would like Wales "to be able to respond to" by "empowering the regions, north Wales, west Wales" as part of its own "new dynamic." Cairns envisions Wales as part of a potential "Western powerhouse", similar to the idea of the Northern Powerhouse in England, and in early 2018 set up the Severn Growth Summit to explore opportunities for boosting Welsh economic growth.

Personal life

Cairns lives in London and his Vale of Glamorgan constituency with his wife Emma and son.

He is an avid marathon runner, and as of 2018 has completed seven runs of the London Marathon. His London Marathon personal best time of 3:28:02 makes him the seventh fastest running MP of all time.

References

References

1. {{London Gazette. (13 May 2010)
2. (4 July 2024). "UK general election results 2024: live tracker". The Guardian.
3. (6 November 2019). "Alun Cairns' resignation letter in full".
4. Jones, Teleri Glyn. (5 November 2019). "Minister must quit – rape trial 'sabotage' victim".
5. (20 December 2019). "Ex-Welsh secretary Alun Cairns cleared over rape trial row". BBC News.
6. "Alun Cairns". BBC News.
7. (19 March 2016). "Who is the new Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns?". BBC News.
8. Williamson, David. (19 March 2016). "Who is Wales' new Secretary of State Alun Cairns? Everything you need to know about Stephen Crabb's replacement". Wales Online.
9. "Who is former Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns?".
10. "Gower". UK Polling Report.
11. "BBC NEWS {{!}} Election 2007 {{!}} Welsh Assembly {{!}} Election Result: South Wales West".
12. Williamson, David. (2010-06-09). "Woman likely to succeed Alun Cairns as AM". WalesOnline.
13. (14 May 1999). "Bourne is given job". South Wales Evening Post.
14. (25 August 1999). "Bourne snubs Richards in cabinet". BBC News.
15. "Vote 2003 - Welsh Assembly - South Wales West". BBC News.
16. (14 May 2003). "Tory breaks ranks on assembly power". BBC News.
17. (2007-06-04). "Bourne names his front benchers". Western Mail.
18. (30 June 2007). "Bourne: We'll protect Wales in opposition". North Wales Live.
19. (29 June 2007). "Labour MPs worried by Plaid deal". BBC News.
20. Shipton, Martin. (28 March 2013). "Alun Cairns admit lobbying over expenses on Bay second home". Wales Online.
21. (14 June 2008). "Tory candidate apologises for 'greasy wops' comment". The Guardian.
22. "Tory resigns over 'greasy wops' remark – Wales News – News – WalesOnline".
23. Williamson, David. (2008-06-16). "Tories rush to replace Alun Cairns". Western Mail.
24. (22 October 2008). "Greasy wops slur Tory is general election candidate". [[Wales Online]].
25. (27 February 2009). "Two tories reject Bourne offers". BBC News.
26. (14 September 1999). "Tory AMs accused of 'jumping ship'". [[BBC Online]].
27. (15 June 2008). "Tory suspended as party candidate". [[BBC Online]].
28. Hardman, Isabel. (4 June 2013). "Curry Club Conservatives can spice things up". The Daily Telegraph.
29. "How Westminster's Tory Curry Club has suddenly found favour". Evening Standard.
30. "Ministry of Defence Insiders Have Serious Doubts About Gavin Williamson". BuzzFeed.
31. Spence, Alex. (22 June 2011). "Low risk investors lose out in failed funds settlement". [[The Times]].
32. Commons, The Committee Office, House of. "House of Commons – Register Of All-Party Groups as at 30 March 2015: Arch Cru Investment Scheme".
33. "Vale of Glamorgan parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
34. (15 August 2022). "Third Tory MP ditches Rishi Sunak for Liz Truss as next PM". The Telegraph.
35. "Orders approved at the Privy Council".
36. "Vale of Glamorgan parliamentary constituency – Election 2017". BBC News.
37. (21 July 2017). "Severn tolls abolished by end of 2018". BBC News.
38. Slawson, Nicola. (21 July 2017). "Severn crossings tolls to be scrapped next year". The Guardian.
39. (7 February 2018). "MPs speak Welsh in parliamentary debate for first time".
40. Williamson, David. (5 April 2018). "Uproar at lack of consultation on the Severn Bridge name change". walesonline.
41. "Cairns defends bridge name change".
42. "'Republicans' should 'respect' Prince".
43. Crisp, Wil. (8 April 2018). "Online petition demanding bridge is not named after Prince Charles attracts 25,000 signatures". The Telegraph.
44. Barry, Sion. (8 November 2017). "Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon must pass value for money test". walesonline.
45. "'You haven't got the ear of your prime minister'".
46. Williamson, David. (13 June 2018). "Alun Cairns dubbed 'grim reaper' over handling of the Swansea tidal lagoon". walesonline.
47. (13 June 2018). "'Everything possible' to back lagoon". BBC News.
48. (31 May 2018). "Hopes for Swansea Bay tidal power lagoon to be dashed next week". Financial Times.
49. "Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns defends position over tidal lagoon after coming under fire from MPs". ITV News.
50. "Swansea Bay tidal lagoon project turned down by government". The Independent.
51. "Welsh Assembly to hold unprecedented vote of no confidence in Welsh Secretary following lagoon rejection". ITV News.
52. Shipton, Martin. (26 June 2018). "Cairns faces no confidence vote in the National Assembly over Swansea lagoon". walesonline.
53. (27 June 2018). "Cairns no confidence motion defeated". BBC News.
54. "Alun Cairns MP". GOV.UK.
55. Mosalski, Ruth. (3 July 2019). "Alun Cairns says he 'regrets' gay marriage vote amid hypocrisy row".
56. (6 November 2019). "Alun Cairns resigns in Ross England rape trial 'sabotage' row". BBC News.
57. Jo Adnitt. "Rape victim says Tory MP inquiry was 'a sham'".
58. (5 July 2024). "Labour gain Vale of Glamorgan from Conservatives as ex-Welsh secretary Alun Cairns ousted". [[ITV News]].
59. Crowther, Zoe. (6 July 2025). "One Year After The General Election: Where Are Former MPs Now?". [[Merit_Group#Subsidiaries.
60. (22 May 2017). "'Get a job' poverty advice from Tory". BBC News.
61. Collins, Peter. (26 December 2014). "Boxing Day hunts spark debate on Hunting Bill ahead of May's General Election". Wales Online.
62. (12 March 2018). "Society 'on step one of gender equality'". BBC News.
63. "UK Government and Chwarae Teg join forces to #PressforProgress to mark International Women's Day". GOV.UK.
64. "'Everyone gains' from closing gender pay gap". BBC News.
65. Graham, Georgia. (21 October 2013). "BBC has 'duty' to educate children about dangers online". The Daily Telegraph.
66. Bennett, Owen. (21 October 2013). "BBC has a responsibility to help protect children online, claims MP". Express.co.uk.
67. Williamson, David. (27 October 2013). "How many scandals or examples of wrongdoing about the BBC have been prompted by the BBC?". walesonline.
68. (22 June 2016). "EU vote: Where the cabinet and other MPs stand". BBC News.
69. Williamson, David. (9 May 2016). "Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns makes the case for staying in the EU". walesonline.
70. Cornock, David. (22 February 2016). "Cameron defends EU grants for Wales". BBC News.
71. (12 June 2017). "Cairns rejects 'softer' Brexit calls". BBC News.
72. Cornock, David. (29 March 2018). "Brexit predictions & walking holidays". BBC News.
73. (23 November 2018). "Welsh Secretary backs EU deal compromise". BBC News.
74. (18 September 2017). "Too much power in Cardiff, says Cairns". BBC News.
75. Brennan, Shane. (18 September 2017). "'Give us more powers' says Secretary of State for Wales". northwales.
76. Dickins, Sarah. (2018). "'Western powerhouse' aim to boost jobs". BBC News.
77. Williamson, David. (22 January 2018). "Vision of a Cardiff/Bristol powerhouse laid out at business summit". walesonline.
78. Morris, Steven. (22 January 2018). "Call for abolition of tolls on Severn bridges to create 'western powerhouse'". The Guardian.
79. "IPSA record". IPSA.
80. "MP Alun Cairns in London Marathon test".
81. Topping, Alexandra. (13 April 2014). "Record number of MPs run in London Marathon". The Guardian.