Alan Francis is a British politician, a former Open University researcher and Transport consultant, who served as Transport Spokesperson of the Green Party and Chair of its executive from 1998 until 2000. He has been a resident of Milton Keynes since about 1985.
Early life
Alan Francis worked on computer graphics projects at Atlas in Chilton, until 1975. He was responsible for the first attempt at synchronised computer animation at the Lab using a VCS3 synthesiser attached to the PDP15. After leaving the Laboratory 1975 he continued to work on computer graphics including BSI's activities in standardisation in that area. Alan also ran a computer graphics consultancy.
Political life
Alan has been a prominent member of the Green Party since the 1980s. Francis is a former Chair of New Bradwell Parish Council. From 1998 until 2000, he was Chair Green Party executive. In 2001 Alan recommended the party use then Green peer Lord Beaumont’s position to attempt to renationalise Railtrack. Alan drafted a Bill and Lord Beaumont arranged a debate. He also wrote Lord Beaumont's proposing speech,. He has campaigned for many years for governments to switch priorities from road to rail. In this capacity he has been Chair of MK Forum and MK RailUsers Group. He is also chair of the Milton Keynes Transport Partnership For many years Frances was Green Party National Speaker on Transport. He has been a Green Party candidate for Milton Keynes in 9 General Elections, 4 Euro elections, as well many council elections. In 2009, Francis was interviewed about the Green Party’s support for Workplace Parking Levy. He remarked “We support charges on motoring which make the car pay the true costs of its use and this could certainly be one way of doing it.” At the Green Party Spring conference 2011, Alan opposed a conference motion against HS2. While the motion was carried, both Alan and the party have both reiterated their support for High Speed Rail in general with Frances arguing “we need extra capacity on our rail system if we want to fulfil our other commitments to switching freight and passengers from roads and air onto rail”. In 2014 Alan was MK:Smart Citizen Workpackage leader for the Big energy debate. In the 2015 general election, Frances stood for the Green Party in Buckingham against Speaker John Bercow. In June 2019, he was among those who criticised the local council's intent to permit a housing and warehouse development near Caldecotte, because the developer's proposals would prevent or seriously obstruct the East West Rail plan for a road bridge over the railway line to replace the level crossing at Bow Brickhill railway station. At the 2019 General Election Frances stood for the Green Party in Milton Keynes South.
Family
Alan is listed as single.
Controversy
In 2015, Alan was among a group of Green Party members who set up set a foodbank store outside then Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith's Grade-II listed 16th century mansion in Swanbourne to protest against the welfare cuts his government had implemented.
