Hywel Williams

Hywel Williams (born 1953)[1] is a Welsh Plaid Cymru politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Arfon since 2010, having previously represented Caernarfon from 2001.

Hywel Williams MP
Williams in 2020
Member of Parliament for Arfon Caernarfon (2001–2010)
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 June 2001
Preceded by	Dafydd Wigley
Majority	2,781 (9.6%)
Personal details
Born	Hywel Williams 14 May 1953 Pwllheli, Wales, UK
Political party	Plaid Cymru
Alma mater	University of Wales, Cardiff (now Cardiff University)

Early life

He was born in Pwllheli in 1953,[1] and received his education at Ysgol Troed yr Allt, Pwllheli Grammar School and then Ysgol Glan y Môr.[2]

He studied Psychology at the University of Wales, Cardiff before qualifying as a social worker at the University of Wales, Bangor in 1977/78. He was a mental health social worker in the Dwyfor area before joining the Centre for Social Work Practice at the University of Wales, Bangor in 1985.

He was a project worker at the Centre, specialising in developing practice through the medium of Welsh, developing a host of short courses available in Welsh for the first time, as well as producing and editing numerous books and training packages with his colleagues, including the first ever social work vocabulary in Welsh. He was appointed Head of the Centre in 1993.

In 1995, Williams left to work as a freelance lecturer, consultant and writer in the fields of social policy, social work, and social care, working primarily through the medium of Welsh. For the next six years, he worked for a variety of universities and colleges in Wales and abroad, as well as working for public bodies, charities, private companies and local and central government, including spending time as an adviser to the House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee.

Williams has been a member of numerous professional bodies in relation to social work and training, and was also spokesman for the Child Poverty Action Group in Wales.

Political career

Williams in 2017

He was elected to represent the Caernarfon constituency in the 2001 general election,[2] following Dafydd Wigley's retirement, and again in 2005, with a significantly increased majority. In 2010, he won the new Arfon seat, which, following boundary changes, was at that time considered a Labour seat in Westminster terms. He was re-elected as Plaid Cymru MP for the Arfon constituency in May 2015 with an increased majority. His majority was cut to just 92 at the 2017 election. He was a member of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee between 2004 and 2010 and joined the Science and Technology Select Committee and the House Works of Art Committee in 2012.

In 2005 he joined the Panel of Chairs. This role involves chairing backbench debates, standing committees on legislation, committees on secondary legislation and from time to time, meetings of the whole House as a Committee in the main chamber.

His parliamentary responsibilities within Plaid Cymru are work and pensions, defence, international development and culture.

In March 2019, he voted for an amendment tabled by members of The Independent Group calling for a second public vote on EU membership.[3]

References

1. "Members of Parliament". Plaid Cymru. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
2. "Hywel Williams". Debrett's People of Today. Debretts. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014.
3. Mosalski, Ruth. "Brexit latest: The Welsh MPs who voted for a second referendum". Wales Online. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.

External links

• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
• Appearances on C-SPAN