Chris Franks
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Cllr Chris Franks |
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| Member of the Welsh Assembly for South Wales Central |
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In office 3 May 2007 – 3 May 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Owen John Thomas |
| Assembly Commissioner | |
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In office 18 September 2007 – 3 May 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Elin Jones |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 August 1951 |
| Political party | Plaid Cymru |
Christopher Paul Franks (born 2 August 1951) is a Welsh engineer and politician. A member of Plaid Cymru, he has led the party's group on the Vale of Glamorgan council. Between 2007 and 2011 he was a member of the National Assembly for Wales losing in 2011.
Franks was born in Cardiff, and educated at Llandaff College. He qualified as a civil engineer, and worked in the Highways and Transport Department of a local authority.
He was elected to Vale of Glamorgan council from Dinas Powys ward, and also to Dinas Powys Community Council. Franks was the Plaid Cymru candidate for Vale of Glamorgan in the 2001 general election, and shortly after the election was chosen as Plaid Cymru group leader on Vale of Glamorgan. He also fought the Vale of Glamorgan in the 1999 and 2003 elections to the National Assembly for Wales. In 2002, Franks challenged Owen John Thomas for the top place on the Plaid Cymru list in South Wales Central, but was unsuccessful.
After the 2004 elections to Vale of Glamorgan Council the Plaid Cymru group found itself with the 'balance of power' and Franks held meetings with both the Conservative and Labour leaders. Eventually the Conservatives formed a minority administration which lasted until November 2006 when a crisis over social services cuts led to a vote of no confidence in the Conservative leader being passed. Franks declared that an all-party coalition was preferable. A coalition between Labour, Plaid Cymru and Independent councillors was agreed that December under which Franks became the cabinet member for Legal and Public Protection, a post that he no longer holds. Franks was neutral in his support for the coalition having abstained in the vote of no confidence.
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