Mark Drakeford

Last updated

Clare Buckle
(m. 1977;died 2023)
Mark Drakeford
MS
First Minister Mark Drakeford official portrait 2020 (cropped).jpg
Official portrait, 2020
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language [lower-alpha 1]
Assumed office
11 September 2024
Children3
Alma mater University of Kent
University of Exeter
Cabinet Second Drakeford government
Signature Mark Drakeford signature.svg

Mark Drakeford (born 19 September 1954) is a Welsh politician who has served as Cabinet Secretary for Finance since September 2024, having previously held the position from 2016 to 2018. He previously served as First Minister of Wales and Leader of Welsh Labour from 2018 to 2024, and as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care from 2013 to 2016, [lower-alpha 3] and on an interim basis in 2024. 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.

Contents

Drakeford was born in Carmarthen in West Wales. He studied Latin at the University of Kent and the University of Exeter. He was a lecturer at the University College of Swansea from 1991 to 1995 and at Cardiff University from 1995 to 1999. He was a Professor of Social Policy and Applied Social Sciences at Cardiff University from 2003 to 2013. Drakeford was elected at the 2011 National Assembly for Wales election for Cardiff West. In 2013, First Minister Carwyn Jones appointed Drakeford to the Welsh Government as Minister for Health and Social Services. He served as Cabinet Secretary for Finance from 2016 to 2018 and as Minister for Brexit from 2017 to 2018. In 2018, he was elected to succeed Jones as Welsh Labour Leader and First Minister.

He led the Welsh Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2021 Senedd election, Drakeford led Welsh Labour to win 30 seats, a working majority, and was reappointed as First Minister. Drakeford resigned as Welsh Labour Leader and First Minister in March 2024 and was succeeded by his Health Minister Vaughan Gething. Drakeford spent the duration of Gething's premiership on the backbenches before making a return to government as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care under First Minister Eluned Morgan in August 2024.

Early life and education

Mark Drakeford was born on 19 September 1954 [2] in Carmarthenshire, West Wales, where he was brought up. He was educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, then an all-boys grammar school in Carmarthen. [3] He studied Latin at the University of Kent, [3] and graduated from the University of Exeter. [4]

After university, he trained both as a teacher and as a social worker. He moved to Cardiff in 1979 and subsequently worked as a probation officer and a youth justice worker, including as a Barnardo's project leader in the Ely and Caerau communities.

Academic career

From 1991 to 1995, Drakeford was a lecturer in applied social studies at the University College of Swansea (now Swansea University). [5] He then moved to the University of Wales, Cardiff, renamed as Cardiff University in 1999, as a lecturer in its School of Social and Administrative Studies. [5] He was promoted to senior lecturer in 1999 and appointed as Professor of Social Policy and Applied Social Sciences in 2003. [5] Drakeford continued in his academic posts until his appointment as a Welsh Government minister in 2013. He has published books and journal articles on various aspects of social policy. [6]

Political career

Drakeford has always been interested in politics, which he says was part of the fabric of life in 1960s Carmarthenshire. [7] He has also stated that he was "always Labour", believing that a person's ties to the economy are the great determining factor in their life chances. [8] In addition to his membership of the Labour Party, he is a member of Unite the Union and UNISON, and a solidarity member of LGBT+ Labour. [9] He is a staunch opponent of Britain's Trident nuclear programme [10] and has called for its decommissioning. [11] Drakeford is considered to be part of the left wing of the Labour Party, and is supported by some members of Welsh Labour Grassroots and Momentum. [12] His views were described as soft left in 2018, in line with the views of former Labour leader Michael Foot. [13]

From 1985 to 1993, Drakeford represented the Pontcanna ward on South Glamorgan County Council, with fellow future Welsh Assembly members Jane Hutt and Jane Davidson as his ward colleagues. [14] He served as Chair of the Education Committee and took a particular interest in Welsh-medium education. [15]

Having been part of the successful Yes for Wales campaign in the 1997 Welsh devolution referendum, he was selected as the Labour candidate for Cardiff Central at the first Welsh Assembly election, as part of Labour's 'twinned seats' policy. The seat was won by the Liberal Democrats' Jenny Randerson.

Following Rhodri Morgan’s appointment as First Minister in 2000, Drakeford became the Welsh Government’s special adviser on health and social policy, and later served as the head of Morgan’s political office. He had been close with Morgan for a number of years, having been Morgan's election agent when he was elected to the UK Parliament. In his role as a special advisor, Drakeford was one of the principal architects of the Clear Red Water philosophy, which made a distinction between Labour Party policy under Morgan in Wales and under Tony Blair in Westminster. [16]

Drakeford succeeded Morgan as the Assembly Member for Cardiff West when the latter retired at the 2011 election. Soon after, he became Chair of the Assembly's Health and Social Care Committee and of the All-Wales Programme Monitoring Committee for European Funds. [15]

In 2013, he was invited by First Minister Carwyn Jones to join the Government, replacing Lesley Griffiths as Minister for Health and Social Services. His appointment was welcomed by the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing. As Health Minister, he guided both the Human Transplantation Act and the Nurse Staffing Levels Act through the Senedd.

In a reshuffle after the 2016 election, he became Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government. His portfolio was later changed, as he assumed responsibility for the Welsh Government’s Brexit preparations and responsibility for local government was transferred to Alun Davies.

He was the only sitting Cabinet member in any part of the UK to support Jeremy Corbyn in his bid for the national leadership of the Labour Party in 2015, while he was Minister for Health and Social Services. [17]

At the UK Labour Party's conference in September 2022, Drakeford used his speech at conference to in part hail the benefits of electoral reform. He has been a long term advocate for using proportional representation at general elections. [18]

Welsh Labour leadership

Immediately following Carwyn Jones' resignation as party leader and First Minister on 21 April 2018, Drakeford told BBC Wales he was giving a leadership bid "serious consideration". [19] Two days later, he Declared himself a candidate in the ensuing leadership contest. [20] He immediately secured the public support of seven other Labour AMs, taking him beyond the threshold of nominations needed to get onto the ballot. [21] Prior to Jones giving written notice of his resignation on 26 September, a further nine Labour AMs nominated Drakeford, meaning a majority of the Labour Group in the Senedd would be supporting his candidacy. [22] He later received support from 10 MPs, eight trade unions and 24 Constituency Labour Parties.

At a special conference on 15 September 2018, it was decided that the voting system for Welsh Labour leadership elections would be changed to a variation of one member, one vote--a change for which Drakeford had been campaigning for over 20 years.

Early policy proposals from Drakeford's leadership campaign included a pilot for universal baby bundles and a push for the devolution of the Probation Service. [23] [24] At the north Wales launch of his campaign, he set out plans for a Social Partnership Act to protect employment rights, and plans to establish a Community Bank for Wales. [25] During an interview, Drakeford said that he was a republican, and had been since the age of 14. According to ITV Wales, were he elected, Drakeford would have a "working relationship with the Royal Family", but did not feel that his views would be "an issue". [26]

On 6 December 2018, Drakeford emerged as leader of the Welsh Labour Party in succession to Carwyn Jones. He received 46.9% of the vote in the first round of the contest, and 53.9% in the second round compared to 41.4% for Vaughan Gething. [27]

On 13 December 2023, he stated his intention to resign as Leader of the Welsh Labour Party, although he would remain as First Minister until his successor was chosen. [28] On 16 March 2024 Vaughan Gething won the Welsh Labour leadership election against Jeremy Miles with 51.7% of the vote. [29]

First Minister

Drakeford, Mark (1999). Privatisation and social policy. London: Longman. ISBN   978-0582356405.
  • Butler, Ian; Drakeford, Mark (2005). Scandal, social policy and social welfare (2nd ed.). Bristol: Policy Press. ISBN   978-1861347466.
  • Jordan, Bill; Drakeford, Mark (2012). Social work and social policy under austerity. Basingstoke: Palgrave. ISBN   978-1137020635.
  • Scourfield, Jonathan; Dicks, Bella; Drakeford, Mark; Davies, Andrew (2006). Children, place and identity: nation and locality in middle childhood. London: Routledge. ISBN   978-0415351263.
  • Notes

    1. As Cabinet Secretary for Finance between 2016 and 2018
    2. As Minister for Health and Social Services from 2013 to 2016
    3. As Minister for Health and Social Services

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    First Minister Mark Drakeford official portrait 2020.jpg
    Premiership of Mark Drakeford
    13 December 2018 20 March 2024
    Mark Drakeford
    Senedd
    Preceded by Member of the Senedd for Cardiff West
    2011–present
    Incumbent
    Political offices
    Preceded by Minister for Health and Social Services
    2013–2016
    Succeeded by
    Preceded by Cabinet Secretary for Finance
    2016–2018
    Succeeded by
    Preceded by First Minister of Wales
    2018–2024
    Succeeded by
    Preceded by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
    2024
    Succeeded by
    Preceded by Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Welsh Language
    2024present
    Incumbent
    Party political offices
    Preceded by Leader of Welsh Labour
    2018–2024
    Succeeded by