Alun Pugh

For the Cypriot rugby player, see Alun Pugh (rugby player).
Alun Pugh
Member of the Welsh Assembly
for Clwyd West
In office
6 May 1999  3 May 2007
Preceded by New Assembly
Succeeded by Darren Millar
Personal details
Born 9 June 1955
Wales Llwynypia, Wales
Political party Labour

Alun John Pugh (born 9 June 1955) is a Welsh Labour politician and former Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport. Pugh currently lives in Brynrefail but resided in Deganwy Gwynedd for much of his time in North Wales. He has learnt Welsh as an adult.

Early life

Pugh was born in Llwynypia, Mid Glamorgan, into a poor coal mining family. He has a degree in business finance and post-graduate qualifications in computer science and education, and moved to North Wales in the mid-1980s.

Professional career

Pugh was Head of Business Studies at Coleg Llandrillo Cymru, a large further education college. Four years later, he was promoted to an associate principalship at West Cheshire College. Following the 2007 elections he took a mountaineering sabbatical in the Himalayas, and on his return to Wales was appointed as Director of the Snowdonia Society, a campaigning environmental charity. He was a columnist for the Daily Post (North Wales) and ran consultancy projects before his re selection for the 2015 general election.

Political career

Pugh was elected in the National Assembly for Wales election in 1999 to the marginal Clwyd West seat of the National Assembly for Wales. Became the Deputy Minister for Economic Development in October 2000. He was re-elected in 2003 as well as being appointed to the post of Minister for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport in the Welsh Assembly Government. Pugh remained an Assembly Member until his 2007 election defeat by Conservative Darren Millar by a margin of 1,596 votes. Pugh stood in the new constituency of Arfon in the 2010 Westminster election but narrowly lost to Plaid Cymru's Hywel Williams by a margin of 1,455 votes. He will contest the 2015 election against Hywel Williams

References

Offices held

National Assembly for Wales
Preceded by
(new post)
Assembly Member for Clwyd West
1999 2007
Succeeded by
Darren Millar
Political offices
Preceded by
(new post)
Deputy Minister for Economic Development
2000 - 2003
Succeeded by
Brian Gibbons
Preceded by
(new post)
Minister for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport
2003 2007
Succeeded by
(post re-organised)