Hywel Williams MP

Constituency: Arfon

Portfolio: Chief Whip; Brexit; Cabinet Office; Defence; FCDO; Work and Pensions; Business and Trade

Born in Pwllheli, Hywel Williams read Psychology at Cardiff University and gained a post graduate CQSW at Bangor University. He started as a children social worker in the Rhymni Valley and then a mental health social worker in Dwyfor. He joined Bangor University’s Centre for Social Work Practice in 1985, progressing to become head of the centre by 1993. Hywel left in 1995 to pursue a career as a freelance lecturer, writer, and consultant focussing on social work, language policy and welfare rights.

Before his election he served as an external specialist adviser to the Welsh Affairs Committee. He was elected the MP for Caernarfon in 2001, holding the seat for Plaid Cymru in 2005. He won the new Arfon seat for Plaid in 2010, holding the seat again at the 2015, 2017 and 2019 elections.

He has served on the Welsh Affairs Committee, the Science Committee, was a member of the Speaker’s Panel of Chairs, a member and then the Chair of the Speaker’s Advisory Committee on Works of Art. Latterly he served on the Committee for Exiting the European Union until it was disbanded. He also served as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Catalonia.

Hywel has been Plaid’s spokesperson on a wide range of issues, most recently for trade, the Cabinet Office, Foreign Affairs and Brexit; between 2015 and 2017 he was Plaid Cymru’s Westminster Leader. Hywel Williams voted Remain in the 2016 referendum.