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First Morgan government | |
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![]() 3rd devolved administration of Wales | |
2000–2003 | |
![]() | |
Date formed | 16 October 2000 |
Date dissolved | 1 May 2003 |
People and organisations | |
Monarch | Elizabeth II |
First Minister | Rhodri Morgan |
Deputy First Minister | Michael German (2000-2001), (2002-2003) Acting Deputy First Minister: Jenny Randerson (2002-2003) |
Member parties | |
Status in legislature | Majority (coalition) 34 / 60 (57%) |
Opposition party | |
Opposition leader | Ieuan Wyn Jones |
History | |
Outgoing election | 2003 general election |
Legislature term | 1st National Assembly for Wales |
Predecessor | Interim Morgan administration |
Successor | Second Morgan government |
The first Morgan government was formed on 16 October 2000 [1] by Rhodri Morgan and a was a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats, it was officially referred to as the 'Coalition Partnership' . It was preceded by the Interim Morgan administration, a Labour minority administration headed by Rhodri Morgan between February and October 2000.
This was the first devolved government of Wales to use the term "Welsh Assembly Government" rather than "Assembly Administration" to describe itself. [2] It was also the first to use the term "minister" rather than "secretary" when referring to members of the government; the position of First Secretary was retitled First Minister while the title of Assembly Secretary (or simply Secretary) was replaced with Minister. [3]
Rhodri Morgan became First Secretary of Wales on 15 February 2000, [4] between February and October 2000 and headed up a minority government with 28 of the Assembly's 60 seats. The unstable nature of the then minority government was of concern and was always viewed as temporary and Labour had mooted looking for a coalition partner following their persevered poor showing in the 1999 election. [5]
Developments quickly occurred during the autumn of 2000 culminating in Tom Middlehurst resigning as Secretary for post-16 education on 9 October claiming he could not “contemplate sitting down at the Cabinet table with the Liberal Democrats”. [6]
The six Liberal Democrat seats was an attractive offer to Labour and following a special conference by both parties a coalition was agreed upon.
A new coalition government (officially referred to as the Coalition Partnership) was officially announced on 5 October 2000 with policy details emerging the day later. Cabinet Ministers were then appointed on 16 October and Deputies on 17 October. That government lasted until the 2003 election.
Office | Portrait | Name | Term | Party | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First Minister | ![]() | Rhodri Morgan | 2000–2003 | Labour | |
Deputy First Minister Minister for Economic Development | ![]() | Michael German | 2000–2003 | Liberal Democrats | |
Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development | ![]() | Carwyn Jones | 2000–2003 | Labour | |
Minister for Assembly Business | ![]() | Andrew Davies | 2000–2003 | Labour | |
Minister for Culture | ![]() | Jenny Randerson | 2000–2003 | Liberal Democrats | |
Minister for Education | ![]() | Jane Davidson | 2000–2003 | Labour | |
Minister for Environment, Transport and Planning | ![]() | Sue Essex | 2000–2003 | Labour | |
Minister for Finance and Local Government | ![]() | Edwina Hart | 2000–2003 | Labour | |
Minister for Health & Social Care | ![]() | Jane Hutt | 2000–2003 | Labour | |
Office holders given special provisions to attend Cabinet | |||||
Chief Whip | ![]() | Karen Sinclair | 2000–2003 | Labour | |
Changes:
Deputy Ministers prior to the enactment of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (enactment and legal separation takes place on appointment of the First Minister, post-May 2007) are not officially part of the Government, and not in Cabinet. From May 2007, Deputy Welsh Ministers are part of the Welsh Assembly Government, but not in Cabinet.
Office | Portrait | Name | Term | Party | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Deputy Minister for Economic Development | ![]() | Alun Pugh | 2000–2003 | Labour | |
Deputy Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning | ![]() | Huw Lewis | 2000–2003 | Labour | |
Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services | ![]() | Brian Gibbons | 2000–2003 | Labour | |
Deputy Minister for Local Government | ![]() | Peter Black | 2000–2003 | Liberal Democrats | |
Deputy Minister for Rural Affairs, Culture and the Environment | ![]() | Delyth Evans | 2000–2003 | Labour | |
Hywel Rhodri Morgan was a Welsh Labour politician who was the First Minister of Wales and the Leader of Welsh Labour from 2000 to 2009. He was also the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011 and the Member of Parliament for Cardiff West from 1987 to 2001. He remains the longest-serving First Minister of Wales, having served in the position for 9 years and 304 days. He was Chancellor of Swansea University from 2011 until his death in 2017.
Ieuan Wyn Jones is a Welsh politician who was the Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Government from 2007 to 2011. He was the Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Ynys Môn constituency from 1999 to 2013, and he was also leader of Plaid Cymru from 2000 to 2012. Jones served as Member of Parliament for Ynys Môn constituency from 1987 to 2001, when he retired to focus on his work in the Welsh Assembly. In 2007, Jones was named Wales' "Politician of the Year" by the BBC Wales am.pm programme. He resigned from the Welsh Assembly on 20 June 2013. In 2017 he unsuccessfully sought to return to the House of Commons for his former constituency.
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Welsh Labour, formerly known as the Labour Party in Wales, is an autonomous section of the United Kingdom Labour Party in Wales and the largest party in modern Welsh politics. Welsh Labour and its forebears have won a plurality of the Welsh vote at every UK general election since 1922, every Assembly and Senedd election since 1999, and all elections to the European Parliament in the period 1979–2004 and in 2014. Welsh Labour holds 27 of the 32 Welsh seats in the UK Parliament, 30 of the 60 seats in the Welsh Senedd and 576 of the 1,264 councillors in principal local authorities including overall control of 10 of the 22 principal local authorities.
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The 2000 Labour Party in Wales leadership election was held on 11 February 2000 after the resignation of Alun Michael as first secretary of Wales and leader of the Labour Party in Wales on 9 February 2000. Rhodri Morgan, who had unsuccessfully challenged Michael in the previous leadership election in 1999, was elected unopposed as the new leader of the party in the National Assembly for Wales and was later nominated unopposed by the assembly as the new first secretary on 15 February.
The 1999 Welsh Labour leadership election was held on 20 February 1999. Alun Michael was elected as Labour's nominee for First Secretary. Michael would go on to become First Secretary in a minority Labour government following the 1999 Assembly election. Runner up Rhodri Morgan went on to serve in Michael's first cabinet and then succeeded him as First Secretary in February 2000.
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