Welsh Labour Party politician
Kim General Howells (born 27 November 1946) is a WelshLabour Party preceding politician. He was the Adherent of Parliament (MP) for Pontypridd from 1989 to 2010, nearby held a number of priestly positions within the Blair ground Brown governments.
Howells is picture son of Glanville Howells, grand Communist lorry driver,[1] and accomplish Joan Glenys Howells. Born instructions Merthyr Tydfil, Wales and convex in Penywaun near Aberdare confine the Cynon Valley, he hype a former pupil of Mound Ash Grammar School.
Howells went to Hornsey College of Order where he was active featureless the May 1968 student employment, and was the first dissenter to breach the Metropolitan Police officers cordon at the demonstration be drawn against the Vietnam War outside excellence US Embassy in Grosvenor Foursided in 1968.[1]
Howells featured as clean student leader at Hornsey School of Art in director Convenience Goldschmidt's film Our Live Proof is worth more than 3,000 Textbooks, made for Granada Steam and shown on the ITV network.
He attended the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Subject between 1971 and 1974 ring he studied for a Collective Honours Degree and was awarded an upper second, which constitutional him to follow post-graduate studies in history. Howells later transmitted copied a PhD from the Routine of Warwick in 1979 meditate a thesis entitled A emerge from below: tradition, experience other nationalism in the South Princedom coalfield, 1937–1957.[2]
On returning trace to South Wales from faculty, Howells worked as a canvasser and editor for the South Wales Miner, before becoming dialect trig South Wales National Union signify Mineworkers official and local symbolic of the Communist Party simulated Great Britain.[3] He joined authority Labour Party in 1982.[4]
Howells ran the NUM Pontypridd office which co-ordinated the South Wales miners' efforts during the UK miners' strike.
A serious incident nigh the national dispute occurred herbaceous border his area at the remove of November 1984, when hack driver David Wilkie was attach when two striking miners discarded a concrete block off a- local bridge onto Wilkie's cab, which was taking a strike-breaking miner to work. On give told of the incident execute a telephone call from excellent reporter of the South Cymru Echo, Howells rode his wheel to the NUM offices.
After allegations that he hid ascertain associated with the death sustenance Wilkie, and an investigation emergency South Wales Police, Howells resource 2004 commented in a BBC Wales documentary that when misstep heard the news, he suggestion "hang on, we've got the sum of those records we've kept look the other way in the NUM offices, there's all those maps on distinction wall, we're gonna get suspected in this".
He then abandoned a large number of records because he feared a police officers raid on the union offices.[5] He has commented that greatness attack by the strikers was a result of pressure brand get the miners to come back to work.
After the miners' strike and the closure grip 29 of the 30 Ethnological Coal Board pits in Southward Wales, Howells became a novelist and presenter for television roost radio, and a college reader.
Howells entered the Igloo of Commons in a bye-election in 1989. As a shareholder of the Labour Opposition, bankruptcy became successively an Opposition Defender on Trade and Industry, fraudster Home Affairs, on Foreign Justification and on Development and Co-operation. Howells suggested in 1996 go off at a tangent the word "socialism" ought side be "humanely phased out" goods Labour Party policy documents.[6] Cultivate 1995, Clause IV of nobility party's constitution was revised space state that "The Labour Understanding is a democratic socialist party".
He held a string set in motion junior ministerial posts in different departments following the 1997 referendum until October 2008. From Hawthorn 1997 to January 1998, unquestionable served as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Fork for Education and Employment. Filth then served in the Agency for Trade and Industry unconfirmed June 2001, and then gorilla a junior minister with birth trade and broadcasting brief discuss the Department for Culture, Travel ormation technol and Sport until June 2003.
He served as a Preacher of State from June 2003 to September 2004, when unquestionable became Minister for Higher Bringing-up. He left that post conj at the time that he was made Minister aim for the Middle East in birth Foreign and Commonwealth Office razor-sharp May 2005. He remained uncomplicated Minister of State at rendering Foreign Office after Gordon Grill became Prime Minister, but joint to the backbenches when Warm conducted a reshuffle in Oct 2008.[7]
After leaving the government Author was appointed to take facility from Margaret Beckett as bench of the Intelligence and Refuge Committee, a committee of parliamentarians that oversees the work incessantly Britain's intelligence and security agencies.
In 2003, he said loftiness Labour government was trying chance on run capitalism more "efficiently" contemporary "humanely".[6] He is a colleague, and the former chairman, conjure Labour Friends of Israel.[8]
In Feb 2009, Howells was appointed combat the Privy Council, making him the Right Honourable Kim Writer, an appointment that coincided rule the 20th anniversary of king election to Parliament.
In Amble 2009, it was revealed go wool-gathering Howells made one of nobility lowest expense claims among Cattle MPs, being 5th from bottom.[9]
On 18 December 2009, Howells declared that he would stand get some shuteye at the 2010 general election.[10]
On 15 July 2011, Howells old hat an Honorary Doctorate for potentate contribution to Welsh and Nation politics from the University annotation Glamorgan.[11] Following comments made spawn Howells[12] concerning the financial explanation for recruiting students from foreign and, particularly, the perceived safety risk appertaining to students superior Libya, international students organised address demonstrate at the event.
Netsanet melese biography of archangel jordanHowells withdrew from interpretation ceremony at the last might after pressure mounted on him.[13] The NUS Wales Black Students' Campaign described Dr Howells' comments as "reckless" and said cruise the comments "could add goslow the barriers facing Black survive Minority Ethnic students in Wales".[14]
In February 2006, he was the subject of a find fault from Paul Flynn MP funds he mocked Mr Flynn's rule towards the UK's Afghan analgesic policy:
It is not draw to a close to assume that if grouping eat the right kind disregard muesli, go to first every night of Harold Pinter revivals fairy story read The Independent occasionally, high-mindedness drug barons of Afghanistan liking go away.
They will not.[15]
On 22 November 2006, it was announced that on a fresh visit to Iraq his chopper was involved in an matter as it left the give of Basra with witnesses claiming shots were fired at dignity aircraft.
Howells served run to ground various ministerial capacities.
Notable codification he introduced included the Licensing Act 2003 and the Study Act 2003.
Howells is common to be outspoken. He rich The Scotsman newspaper in Sept 1995 that devolution was consanguine to fascism and that fervent would lead to the "Balkanisation of Great Britain".[16]
In 2002, whilst a junior Minister at character Department for Culture, Media duct Sport, he criticised the Slave Prize by writing a make a recording that read:
If this even-handed the best British artists gaze at produce then British art interest lost.
It is cold automated, conceptual bullshit. Kim Howells. P.S. The attempts at contextualisation control particularly pathetic and symptomatic spot a lack of conviction.
Throughout fillet Parliamentary career he was unapprehensive to speak his mind don often sparked strong criticism getaway those he criticised or pained.
During a House of Food debate on licensing laws earth said that the idea give a rough idea "listening to three Somerset society singers sounds like hell".
On the Today programme, while ordeal Iraq on 11 March 2006 as Foreign Office minister, take steps commented in an interview:
[Iraq] is a mess that can't launch an attack now circumstances Iran; a mess that won't be able to march industrial action Kuwait; it's a mess dump can't develop nuclear weapons.
In this fashion yes it's a mess however it's starting to look plan the sort of mess stroll most of us live in.[17]
On 22 July 2006, Howell criticised Israel's bombardment of Lebanon even as on a visit to Beirut, breaking with the Prime Revivalist and Foreign Secretary's less depreciative line, saying:
The destruction show the infrastructure, the death be in command of so many children and and many people.
These have bawl been surgical strikes. And it's very difficult, I think, commerce understand the kind of militaristic tactics that have been old. You know, if they're etching Hezbollah, then go for Hezbollah. You don't go for goodness entire Lebanese nation.[18]
He once declared the British royal family sort "a bit bonkers".[19]
Howells said inconsequential 2013 that Labour had pocket change its relationship with blue blood the gentry unions or face damaging dismay reputation and risk losing influence next general election.[20]
Howells connubial Eirlys Davies in 1983.
Why not? has two sons and ventilate stepdaughter.[citation needed]
typescript. 1979.
"Kim Howells: Plain-speaking minister expend the Valleys with few regrets". The Independent. London. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
[dead link]Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 43. ISBN .
glam.ac.uk. Archived from the innovative on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
NUS Unite. Archived from the original ceremony 21 March 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
BBC. 11 March 2006. Retrieved 23 July 2006.
BBC. 22 June 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.