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Biography
Alun Hugh Cairns PC (born 30 July 1970) is a Welsh Conservative Party politician, who has been Secretary of State for Wales since 19 March 2016. He was previously a member of the National Assembly for Wales for the South Wales West region from the 1999 Welsh Assembly Election until 2011, and was elected at the 2010 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Vale of Glamorgan.
Background
Brought up in Clydach near Swansea, he attended Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Pontardawe and Ysgol Gyfun Ddwyieithog Ystalyfera and is a fluent Welsh language speaker. At the time of his election to the Welsh Assembly, was completing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales, Newport, specialising in corporate location and inward investment.
Professional career
Cairns worked for Lloyds Banking Group as a Business Development Consultant before being elected to the National Assembly.
Political career
Cairns stood for Parliament in Gower in 1997 and was the Conservative Party's candidate for the Vale of Glamorgan at the 2005 general election. He was re-selected as Parliamentary candidate for the Vale of Glamorgan in July 2007.
National Assembly for Wales
First elected to the assembly as AM for South Wales West in 1999, he was re-elected in 2003 and 2007 and served as the party's spokesman on economic development and transport for eight years. In the Third Assembly he held the education and lifelong learning portfolio and also chaired the Assembly's Finance Committee. On 11 July 2007 he became the Shadow Minister for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills in the National Assembly for Wales. 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.
On 14 June 2008 he resigned from his Shadow Cabinet position after making controversial remarks on BBC Radio Cymru. He was re-appointed to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Local Government on 22 October 2008 after completion of a party investigation.
Controversy, resignation and reinstatement
In September 2008, Cairns admitted 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 14 June 2008 Cairns was suspended as the parliamentary candidate for the Vale of Glamorgan while the party carried out an investigation. Cairns was reinstated as the parliamentary candidate and to the Shadow Cabinet on 22 October 2008 upon completion of the investigation.
House of Commons
Cairns was elected as the MP for the Vale of Glamorgan in May 2010, taking the seat from Labour with a majority of more than 4,300. He was re-elected at the 2015 general election with an increased majority of 6,880.
He became Secretary of State for Wales on 19 March 2016, replacing Stephen Crabb who became Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, and was appointed to the Privy Council on 22 March.
Brexit
Cairns supported a Remain vote in the UK EU referendum of 2016.