Brian Hancock (born 8 August 1950 in

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

) is a Welsh politician and member of

Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru ( ; ; officially Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales, often referred to simply as Plaid) is a centre-left to left-wing, Welsh nationalist political party in Wales, committed to Welsh independence from the United Kingdom. Plaid wa ...

. He was the Welsh Assembly Member for

Islwyn The Borough of Islwyn was one of five local government districts of Gwent from 1974 to 1996. History The borough was formed in 1974 as a local government district of Gwent. It covered the whole area of three former districts and part of a four ...

for the Assembly's first term (1999–2003). AMs serving 1999-2003

Background

Born in Cardiff in 1950, Hancock was educated at Lady Mary High School, Cardiff and Llandaff Technical College, also in Cardiff. He went on to earn a

BSc A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

Chemical Engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials int ...

at the

Polytechnic of Wales , image_name = University of Glamorgan arms.png , image_size = 220px , caption = University of Glamorgan coat of arms , motto = Success Through Endeavour , established = , closed = , administrative_staff = , chancellor = John Morris ...

Pontypridd () (colloquially: Ponty) is a town and a community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Geography comprises the electoral wards of , Hawthorn, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda', Rhydyfelin Central/Ilan ( Rhydfelen), Trallwng (Trallwn) and Treforest (). The ...

. He rose through the ranks in the world of chemical engineering, starting out at ''Monsanto Ltd'' as an engineer in 1974, eventually becoming Health, Safety and Environment Superintendent for BP Chemicals in 1988. He became a self-employed Health, Safety and Environment Consultant in 1992. He currently works part-time as a Business Development Adviser. Among his interests are

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

and

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competiti ...

, he has been the chair of Newport Harriers Athletic Club for nearly 20 years.

Political career

Hancock was elected Plaid AM for Islwyn in the First Welsh Assembly Elections in 1999 with a majority of 604 votes from the Labour Party. Islwyn was one of the several Labour strongholds in the South Wales Valleys which unpredictably fell to Plaid. Hancock served as Plaid's Deputy Whip and as Spokesman for Small Businesses.

Irene James Irene James (born 1952) is a Welsh Labour politician who represented the constituency of Islwyn in the National Assembly for Wales from 2003 to 2011. James was educated Newbridge Grammar School and the Cardiff College of Music & Drama. She co ...

regained the seat for Labour in the 2003 Elections. More recently, Hancock stood as Plaid's candidate for the Newport West constituency in the 2007 National Assembly Elections, coming fourth with 10.4% of the vote.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hancock, Brian 1950 births Politicians from Cardiff Living people Plaid Cymru politicians Plaid Cymru members of the Senedd Wales AMs 1999–2003 Alumni of Loughborough University