Gething government | |
---|---|
12th devolved administration of Wales | |
2024 | |
Date formed | 21 March 2024 |
Date dissolved | 5 August 2024 |
People and organisations | |
Monarch | Charles III |
First Minister | Vaughan Gething |
Ministers removed | 5 |
Member parties | |
Status in legislature | Minority 30 / 60 (50%) in co-operation with Plaid Cymru [1] until May 2024 [2] |
Opposition cabinet | Fourth Shadow Cabinet of Andrew RT Davies |
Opposition party | |
Opposition leader | Andrew R. T. Davies |
History | |
Legislature term | 6th Senedd |
Predecessor | Second Drakeford government |
Successor | Eluned Morgan government |
The Gething government was the Labour-led government of Wales formed on 21 March 2024 [3] following the appointment of Vaughan Gething as First Minister on 20 March 2024. [4] [5]
Following the resignation of Mark Drakeford, [6] [7] Gething was elected Leader of the Labour party on 16 March 2024 [8] [9] and appointed First Minister on 20 March. [4] He became the first black leader of any European country. [10]
Gething announced his cabinet on 21 March. Upon appointing his cabinet, Gething stated "this stellar ministerial team will answer the call of the generation in wanting to create a stronger, fairer, greener Wales". [11] Senior ministers in the cabinet were once again named "cabinet secretaries" with junior ministers referred to as "ministers", as they were in Carwyn Jones's third government. [3]
Rebecca Evans retained the Finance portfolio and was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Cabinet Office, [4] assuming the responsibilities for Constitution from Mick Antoniw who was reappointed the Counsel General. [3]
Deputy Minister for Social Services Julie Morgan and Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters both left their respective positions upon the formation of the new government, with Dawn Bowden assuming the Social Care brief. [3] Hannah Blythyn retained the Social Partnership portfolio. [3]
This article is part of a series within the Politics of the United Kingdom on the |
Politics of Wales |
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Huw Irranca-Davies returned to cabinet as Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs. [3] Irranca-Davies replaced Julie James in the Climate Change portfolio, who was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government, and Planning. Irranca-Davies also replaced Lesley Griffiths in the Rural Affairs portfolio, with Griffiths bring appointed Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice. [3] Griffifths replaced Jane Hutt in the Social Justice portfolio, and Hutt assumed Griffifths' former position as Trefnydd of the Senedd, with Hutt also keeping her position as Chief Whip. [3] Ken Skates returned to Cabinet as Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport, replacing Griffiths in the North Wales portfolio. [3]
The Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing Lynne Neagle was promoted to Cabinet Secretary for Education, replacing Jeremy Miles. [3] Miles, who was defeated by Gething in the leadership contest, succeeded Gething in the Economy portfolio as Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language. [4] Jayne Bryant, who co-chaired Gething's campaign, joined the government as Minister for Mental Health and Early Years. [3]
On 16 May 2024, Gething announced that he had dismissed Blythyn from the government. [12] In his statement, Gething stated that he had "no alternative" after reviewing evidence regarding a "recent disclosure of communication to the media." [12] Blythyn denied the allegations. [12] Sarah Murphy was appointed to Blythyn's former role on 17 May 2024. [13]
On 16 July 2024, four ministers resigned from the government. Counsel General Mick Antoniw, Cabinet Secretary for Economy Jeremy Miles, Cabinet Secretary for Housing Julie James and Cabinet Secretary for Culture Lesley Griffiths. [14] Shortly after, Gething himself resigned as First Minister and Leader of Welsh Labour, and will remain in office until his successor is elected. [15]
Gething also made tweaks to the remaining cabinet, replacing the 4 resigning ministers. He appointed Jack Sargeant to the role of Minister for Social Partnership, with the previous holder Sarah Murphy to take the role of Minister for Mental Health and Early Years. Jayne Bryant, the previous Mental Health and Early Years Minister, was made Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Housing, replacing Julie James. Responsibility for the Economy was given to Ken Skates, responsibility for the Welsh Language was granted to Eluned Morgan, and the brief for Culture and Social Justice was added to the roles of Jane Hutt. Gething himself took the role of Counsel General. [16] [17]
Portfolio | Name | Constituency | Party | Term | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Counsel General | Mick Antoniw MS | Pontypridd | Labour | 2021– July 2024 | ||
Minister for Mental Health and Early Years | Jayne Bryant MS | Newport West | Labour | March 2024 - July 2024 | ||
Minister for Social Care | Dawn Bowden MS | Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney | Labour | March 2024 - July 2024 | ||
Minister for Social Partnership | Hannah Blythyn MS | Delyn | Labour | March – May 2024 | ||
Sarah Murphy MS | Bridgend | Labour | May 2024 – July 2024 |
Portfolio | Name | Constituency | Party | Term | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First Minister of Wales | Vaughan Gething MS | Cardiff South and Penarth | Labour | March 2024 - | ||
Counsel General | July 2024 - | |||||
Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Cabinet Office | Rebecca Evans MS | Gower | Labour | March 2024– | ||
Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government, and Planning | Jayne Bryant MS | Newport West | Labour | July 2024 - | ||
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and the Welsh Language | The Baroness Morgan of Ely MS | Mid & West Wales | Labour | March 2024 – | ||
Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Transport and North Wales | Ken Skates MS | Clwyd South | Labour | July 2024 – | ||
Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs | Huw Irranca-Davies MS | Ogmore | Labour | March 2024 - | ||
Trefnydd (House Leader) and Chief Whip | Jane Hutt MS | Vale of Glamorgan | Labour | March 2024 - | ||
Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice | July 2024 - | |||||
Cabinet Secretary for Education | Lynne Neagle MS | Torfaen | Labour | March 2024 – |
Portfolio | Name | Constituency | Party | Term | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Minister for Mental Health and Early Years | Sarah Murphy MS | Bridgend | Labour | July 2024 – | ||
Minister for Social Care | Dawn Bowden MS | Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney | Labour | March 2024 – | ||
Minister for Social Partnership | Jack Sargeant MS | Alyn and Deeside | Labour | May 2024 – |
Ifor Huw Irranca-Davies is a Welsh Labour and Co-operative politician who has served as Deputy First Minister of Wales since August 2024, and as Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs since March 2024. He has been the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Ogmore since 2016. Irranca-Davies was previously the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ogmore from 2002 to 2016.
The first minister of Wales is the leader of the Welsh Government and keeper of the Welsh Seal. The first minister chairs the Welsh Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Welsh Government policy. Additional functions of the first minister include promoting and representing Wales in an official capacity, at home and abroad, and responsibility for constitutional affairs, as they relate to devolution and the Welsh Government.
Mair Eluned Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Ely is a Welsh Labour politician who has served as First Minister of Wales and Leader of Welsh Labour since 2024. She previously served as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care in the Welsh Government from 2021 to 2024.
Jane Elizabeth Hutt is a Welsh Labour politician serving as Welsh Government Chief Whip since 2023, Trefnydd of the Senedd since March 2024 and Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice since July 2024. She has served as the Member of the Senedd (MS) for the Vale of Glamorgan since 1999.
Susan Lesley Griffiths is a Welsh Labour politician who was Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice from March to July 2024. She previously served as Trefnydd of the Senedd and Minister for North Wales from 2021 to 2024, and Minister for Rural Affairs from 2016 to 2024. She worked as a secretary to John Marek and the constituency assistant to Ian Lucas, successive Members of Parliament for Wrexham, and was elected to the Senedd from the Wrexham constituency in 2007. She has held a number of cabinet positions in the Welsh Government. In December 2009 she was appointed Deputy Minister for Science, Innovation and Skills.
Lynne Neagle is a Welsh Labour & Co-operative politician serving as Cabinet Secretary for Education since 2024. Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, Wales, Neagle has been the Member of the Senedd (MS) for the constituency of Torfaen since the Senedd was established in 1999.
Humphrey Vaughan ap David Gething is a Welsh Labour and Co-operative Party politician who served as First Minister of Wales from March to August 2024, and served as leader of Welsh Labour from March to July 2024, making him the first black leader of any European country. Gething previously served as the Minister for Health and Social Services from 2016 to 2021 and Minister for the Economy from 2021 to 2024. He has been the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Cardiff South and Penarth since 2011.
Jeremy Miles is a Welsh Labour Co-op politician, who was Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language from March to July 2024. He previously served in the Welsh Government as Counsel General for Wales from 2017 to 2021, Brexit Minister from 2018 to 2021, and the Minister for coordinating Wales’ recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2021. Miles has been the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Neath since 2016.
Mark Drakeford is a Welsh politician who has served as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care on an interim basis since August 2024, having previously held the position from 2013 to 2016. He previously served as First Minister of Wales and Leader of Welsh Labour from 2018 to 2024, and as Cabinet Secretary for Finance from 2016 to 2018. He was first elected as the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Cardiff West in 2011 and is considered to be on the soft left of Labour.
Kenneth Christian Skates is a Welsh Labour politician who has served as Cabinet Secretary for the Economy since July 2024, and of Transport and North Wales since March 2024. Skates has represented the constituency of Clwyd South in the Senedd since the election of 2011. He is an alumnus of the University of Cambridge, and worked as a journalist prior to becoming a politician. In September 2014 he became the deputy minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport. From May 2016 to December 2018 he was the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Infrastructure and Skills, and was the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales until he stood down on 13 May 2021.
Rebecca Mary Evans is a Welsh Labour and Co-operative politician who has served as Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Cabinet Office since 2024. She was previously Minister for Finance from 2018 to 2024. Evans has served as the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Gower since 2016, and a Member for Mid and West Wales from 2011 to 2016.
Hannah Blythyn is a Welsh politician who served as the Minister for Social Partnership in the Welsh Government from 2021 to 2024. She was previously the Environment Minister from 2017 to 2018 and the Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government from 2018 to 2021. A member of Welsh Labour and Co-operative Party, she has been the Member of the Senedd (MS) for Delyn since 2016.
Jayne Bryant is a Welsh Labour Party politician serving as Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government, and Planning since July 2024. Since May 2016 she has represented Newport West in the Senedd.
The 2018 Welsh Labour Party leadership election took place between 9 November and 6 December 2018 to elect a successor to Carwyn Jones as leader of the Welsh Labour Party.
The February–March 2024 Welsh Labour leadership election took place between February and March 2024 to select Mark Drakeford's successor as leader of Welsh Labour, who in turn would become First Minister of Wales. Drakeford announced his resignation and retirement on 13 December 2023, five years after his election. Voting began in February 2024 with the new leader announced on 16 March 2024. Vaughan Gething won the election with 51.7% of the vote. The next scheduled Senedd election is due on or before 7 May 2026.
The July 2024 Welsh Labour leadership election was held to find Vaughan Gething's successor as leader of Welsh Labour, after he announced his resignation on 16 July 2024, just four months after he was elected. After nominations closed on 24 July 2024 at 12:00, Eluned Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Ely was confirmed to be the sole candidate, and therefore elected leader unopposed.
The Minister for Social Partnership is a minister of the Welsh Government. The current officeholder is Jack Sargeant since July 2024.
Rhun ap Iorwerth, the leader of Plaid Cymru, formed his frontbench team of party spokespeople in the Senedd on 27 June 2023 after he was elected unopposed to succeed Adam Price as party leader on 16 June. He reshuffled his frontbench team on 6 June 2024 to prepare for the next Senedd election following the passage of a motion of no confidence in First Minister Vaughan Gething.
In June 2024, Vaughan Gething, first minister of Wales and leader of Welsh Labour, faced a non-binding vote of no-confidence in him as First Minister, tabled by the Welsh Conservatives, which he lost by a margin of 29 votes to 27 but did not resign at the time. Following mounting criticism over a campaign donation of £200,000 from a criminal businessman, and the resignation of four cabinet ministers, on 16 July 2024 Gething announced his resignation as First Minister. His resignation will formally take effect when his successor is elected.
Eluned Morgan formed her government on 6 August and 7 August 2024 following her appointment as first minister of Wales on 6 August. She appointed former First Minister Mark Drakeford as her successor to her former role as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, a role he himself held between 2013 and 2016, and designated Elisabeth Jones as Counsel General-designate.