Alun Cairns was elected as the Conservative MP for the Vale of Glamorgan in 2010, and was re-elected in 2019 with a majority of 3,562.
The Vale of Glamorgan lies just to the west of Cardiff, and encompasses a large section of the south Glamorgan coast. It includes the towns of Cowbridge, Llantwit Major, St Athan, and the coastal resort of Barry. Cardiff airport is found in this constituency, and a large number of the local population commute into Cardiff to work. One of Britain’s most long standing marginal constituencies, this seat has been won by the government of the day ever since it was first created in 1983.
Cairns served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Wales between 2016 and 2019. He was previously Parliamentary Under Secretary for Wales between 2014 and 2016.
He was elected to the National Assembly of Wales between 1999 and 2011. During this time, he chaired the Assembly’s powerful finance committee.
Born in 1970, Alun Cairns was brought up in Clydach near Swansea. His father was a welder and his mother was a shop keeper. He attended the University of Wales.
Cairns worked for the Lloyds Banking Group before being to Parliament. He holds an MBA specialising in corporate location and inward investment.
According to the Register of Members Interests he has previously been appointed as a Senior Adviser to Veezu Holdings Ltd (private hire transport and technology platform) and as a Senior Adviser to BBI Group (global life science and diagnostic company).
Cairns supported Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum, but voted for Boris Johnson in the 2019 Conservative leadership election.
Cairns has been critical of the BBC TV Licence Fee in the past, which he has described as a ‘regressive tax’.
Alun Cairns is the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Energy Security; and Vice Chair of the Group on Financial Markets and Services; Freeports; the Future of Aviation; Media; Qatar; Transatlantic Trade; Singapore, Cyber Security; Parkrun; and Taxis.
He is married with a son. Cairns is a keen marathon runner and has completed a large number of marathons.
Email: alun.cairns.mp@parliament.uk
Personal Website: www.aluncairns.co.uk
Twitter: @AlunCairns
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/aluncairns
