Peter Hain

The Right Honourable Peter Gerald Hain (born February 16, 1950 in Nairobi, Kenya) is a British Labour Party politician.

Related Topics:
The Right Honourable - February 16 - 1950 - Nairobi, Kenya - British - Labour Party - Politician

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He is MP for Neath in Wales and sits in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Secretary of State for Wales.

Related Topics:
MP - Neath - Wales - Cabinet - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland - Secretary of State for Wales

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He came to the UK from South Africa as a teenager, and was a noted anti-Apartheid campaigner in the 1970s.

Related Topics:
UK - South Africa - Apartheid - 1970s

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Peter Hain was born to South African parents in Nairobi, Kenya. His parents were anti-Apartheid activists in South Africa, for which they were made "banned persons", briefly jailed, and prevented from working. In 1966 the family fled South Africa and settled in London, where Peter's father Walter Hain made a living as an architect. Peter became chairman of the Stop the Seventy Tour Campaign which disrupted tours by the South African Rugby Union and cricket teams in 1969 and 1970. In 1976 he was tried for, and acquitted of, a 1974 bank robbery, allegedly having been framed by South African intelligence agents. He joined the Liberal Party and was elected president of the Young Liberals, but in 1977 switched to Labour. The same year, he was a founder of the Anti-Nazi League.

Related Topics:
Nairobi - Kenya - 1966 - London - Stop the Seventy Tour Campaign - Rugby Union - Cricket - 1969 - 1970 - 1976 - 1974 - Liberal Party - Young Liberals - 1977 - Anti-Nazi League

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Hain worked as a researcher for the Union of Communication Workers, rising to become their head of research before being elected to the House of Commons at a by-election in 1991. In 1995 he became a Labour whip and in 1996 became shadow employment minister. After Labour's victory in the 1997 general election he joined the government, first at the Welsh Office, then as minister for Africa at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Related Topics:
Union of Communication Workers - House of Commons - 1991 - 1995 - Whip - 1996 - 1997 general election - Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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Robert Mugabe, whom he had supported in the struggle against white minority rule, attacked him as a "racist" for backing Zimbabwe's white farmers' rights.

Related Topics:
Robert Mugabe - Zimbabwe - Farmer

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He moved briefly to the Department of Trade and Industry before returning to the Foreign Office as minister for Europe. He was vocal in advocating joint sovereignty of Gibraltar with Spain, leading to him being reviled in the colony, which overwhelmingly rejected sovereignty in a referendum in November 2002. In October 2002, he joined the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Wales, but continued to represent the UK at the Convention on the Future of Europe. In June 2003 he was made Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal

Related Topics:
Department of Trade and Industry - Foreign Office - Europe - Gibraltar - Spain - Sovereignty - November - 2002 - October - Secretary of State for Wales - Convention on the Future of Europe - 2003 - Leader of the House of Commons - Lord Privy Seal

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in a cabinet reshuffle, but retained the Wales portfolio. In November 2004 Hain caused controversy among his political rivals when he claimed that "If we are tough on crime and on terrorism, as Labour is, then I think Britain will be safer under Labour". On 6 May 2005, following the 2005 general election, Hain was appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, retaining his Welsh position also. Although previously a supporter of Irish unity, he has since retreated from this position.

Related Topics:
2004 - Crime - Terrorism - 6 May - 2005 - 2005 general election - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland - Irish unity

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