Hywel Francis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hywel Francis
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Francis as an MP
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| Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights | |
| In office 8 September 2010 – 30 March 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Andrew Dismore |
| Succeeded by | Harriet Harman |
| Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee | |
| In office 13 July 2005 – 6 May 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Martyn Jones |
| Succeeded by | David TC Davies |
| Member of Parliament for Aberavon |
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| In office 7 June 2001 – 30 March 2015 |
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| Preceded by | John Morris |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Kinnock |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
David Hywel Francis
6 June 1946 Neath, Glamorgan, Wales |
| Died | 14 February 2021 (aged 74) Morriston, Swansea, Wales |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse |
Mair Price
(m. 1968) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent | Dai Francis (father) |
| Alma mater | Swansea University |
| Occupation |
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David Hywel Francis (born June 6, 1946 – died February 14, 2021) was a British politician. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Aberavon from 2001 to 2015. He was a member of the Labour Party. Hywel Francis also led important committees in Parliament. He chaired the Welsh Affairs Committee from 2005 to 2010. Later, he chaired the Joint Committee on Human Rights from 2010 to 2015.
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Early Life and Education
Hywel Francis went to Whitchurch Grammar School and Llangatwg Secondary School. He then studied at the University of Wales, Swansea. There, he earned a special degree called a doctorate in history. This means he became an expert in studying the past.
He was also able to speak the Welsh language. This is the traditional language of Wales.
A Career in Academia
Before becoming an MP, Hywel Francis worked at the University of Wales. He was a professor in Adult Continuing Education. This means he taught grown-ups who wanted to keep learning.
At the University of Wales, he started the South Wales Miners' Library. This library helped preserve the history of miners. He also led the Wales Congress in Support of Mining Communities. This group supported people who worked in mines.
Hywel Francis was a member of Gorsedd Cymru from 1986. This is a group that celebrates Welsh culture. He also helped many charities and foundations. He was vice-president of Carers UK, which supports people who care for others. He was also a patron of NIACE, a group for adult learners.
He was a trustee of the Paul Robeson Wales Trust. He also founded the Bevan Foundation. He was the president of the South Wales Miners' Museum. Hywel Francis wrote many articles and books. Some of his books include:
- The Fed (co-authored with Dai Smith) in 1980
- Miners Against Fascism in 1984
- Wales: A Learning Country in 1999
- History on Our Side in 2009
- Do Miners Read Dickens? (co-authored with Siân Williams) in 2013
He was also featured in a film called After Coal.
Hywel Francis's father was Dai Francis. His father was a leader of the South Wales NUM, a miners' union. This was during a time of big changes for workers in the 1970s. Like his father, Hywel Francis was once a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain.
Becoming a Politician
In 1999, Hywel Francis started working for Paul Murphy. Mr. Murphy was the Secretary of State for Wales. This job meant he was a top government official for Wales. Francis worked in this role until 2000.
The next year, in 2001, Hywel Francis was elected to the House of Commons. This is where MPs work in Parliament. He was re-elected in May 2005.
While in Parliament, he held several important roles:
- He chaired the Welsh Affairs Select Committee from 2005 to 2010. This committee looked at issues affecting Wales.
- He chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Archives and History.
- He also chaired the All-Party Carers Group, which supported carers.
Important Votes and Actions
Hywel Francis voted on many important laws. In April 2003, he voted to ban smoking in restaurants. He also voted for the Identity Cards Bill in 2004 and 2005.
In March 2002, he voted to ban hunting wild animals with dogs. He supported the idea of NHS Foundation Trusts for hospitals. He also voted to allow unmarried heterosexual and homosexual couples to adopt children. He supported the Civil Partnership Bill, which gave legal recognition to same-sex couples. Francis also voted to replace the Trident nuclear weapon system.
He voted on some laws about terrorism. He voted for parts of a bill that allowed the government to hold people suspected of terrorism. This was even if they could not be sent out of the country. He voted against changes that would limit when police could fingerprint people for terrorism investigations.
Hywel Francis also voted on the Iraq War. In March 2003, he voted that the reasons for going to war against Iraq were not clear enough. In June 2003, he voted against looking into why the government thought Iraq had dangerous weapons. In June 2007, he voted against a new inquiry into the Iraq War.
He worked hard to keep local services in his area. He fought against closing the Port Talbot magistrates' court. He believed that justice should be local. He also suggested that Wales should have a special commissioner for carers. This would be similar to the Children's Commissioner for Wales.
Later Political Career
In February 2011, news reports mentioned Hywel Francis in a US diplomatic cable. This cable was released by WikiLeaks. It talked about the election for the leader of the Welsh Labour Party in 2009. The cable quoted Francis saying that some candidates were not strong enough. He was quoted suggesting that the party hoped for a new leader from outside the Welsh Assembly.
However, Hywel Francis said he did not remember saying this. He thought the diplomat might have written it down wrong. He said he had supported Carwyn Jones, who became the leader. He would not have supported bringing someone in from outside the Assembly.
On November 22, 2013, Hywel Francis announced he would step down. He decided not to run for MP again in the 2015 general election. Stephen Kinnock, whose father was a former Labour leader, was chosen to take his place.
Personal Life
Hywel Francis married Mair Price in 1968. They had three children. One of their sons had Down syndrome and passed away in 1997 at age 16 due to a heart condition.
Hywel Francis died on February 14, 2021, at the age of 74. He passed away from cancer at Morriston Hospital in Swansea. He is survived by his wife, Mair, and two of their children.
