Sophie Howe

Last updated

Sophie Howe
OccupationPolitician
Known forFirst Future Generations Commissioner for Wales

Sophie Howe (born c. 1977) was the first Future Generations Commissioner for Wales from 2016 to January 2023. She had previously been a local councillor and worked as a special political advisor and deputy police and crime commissioner to Alun Michael.

Contents

Career

Howe was elected as a local councillor for the ward of Whitchurch & Tongwynlais in 1999 when she was 21, serving for 9 years, and initially was the youngest elected councillor in Wales. Howe worked part-time for the Cardiff North MP Julie Morgan while she was at university. [1] She has been employed to manage the legal department of the Equal Opportunities Commission. She was the first deputy South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner and has been special advisor to two First Ministers of Wales. [2] Her areas of expertise lie within communities, local government, equality and community safety. [3]

She was appointed as the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, a role created as part of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 that came into force on 1 April 2016 aiming to make Wales a better place to live. [3] Her term extends to 2023. [4] The remit is a statutory obligation as “the guardian of the interests of future generations in Wales” to provide guidance and advice to the government and public bodies in Wales when they make decisions so that they think about effects on people in the future as well as now. Although formal powers are limited, the power to require justifications for decisions can influence policy. She promotes public involvement, preventative action and cross-government collaboration to improve decision making. [5] [3]

Howe advised the Welsh government against building a bypass around Newport linked to the M4 motorway because it would result in financial debt for the future as well as destroy local biodiversity. [6]

In 2019 Howe introduced a policy of paid leave for staff in her office experiencing domestic abuse. This policy was later adopted by the Welsh government and also a local authority. In 2020 she went further to provide financial support for staff when leaving an abusive relationship in the form of a salary advance, loan or small grant. [7]

In October 2020 Howe initiated a Manifesto for the Future study into providing a basic income for all citizens in parallel with a shorter working week as a response to unemployment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These were already recommended in an earlier report she had published in March 2020. [8] She subsequently said that a universal basic income and a shorter working week should be piloted by the next Welsh Government. Her list of suggestions also recommends an emphasis on green policies. These recommendations came ahead of the 2021 Senedd election, to elect members of the Senedd, and the next Welsh Government. [9] In January 2023 Howe completed her term as Future Generations Commissioner and the role was passed to Derek Walker. [10] [11]

Howe has talked about the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 at events as diverse as the literary Hay Festival in 2019 [12] and when meeting with Housing Women Cymru. [13]

She is a fellow of Swansea University [3] and honorary research fellow at Cardiff Business School in Cardiff University. [14]

In 2023 Howe was appointed to communications agency Lynn Group as its global strategic partner. [15]

Awards

Howe was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David in July 2019. [16]

In November 2020 she was included in the BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Power list 2020. [17]

Controversies

Howe was one of four candidates on a Labour party shortlist for the Cardiff North constituency at the 2015 general election for the UK parliament. This was described as a potential conflict of interest with her then post of Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner by Judith Woodman, the Liberal Democrat group leader on Cardiff Council, who said: “If she is going to stand as an MP, then she should stand down as Deputy PCC as I believe there will be a conflict of interest. She is party to information in relation to policing which will probably give her an advantage over any other candidates who wish to raise an issue of policing and crime." [18]

Howe took a total of 50 flights during her seven years in the role of Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, totalling 100,000 air miles, according to evidence which emerged from an FOI request by Wales Online . [19] In the words of the newspaper, Howe, "whose role is to hold public bodies and politicians and the long-term impact their decisions have to account", took trips to Paris, New York, Hamburg, Vienna, Toronto, Oslo, Seoul, Sharm el Sheik in Egypt and Dubai. [20]

Personal life

Howe was born around 1977 and lived in Ely, Cardiff. She attended school in Rhiwbina. Her parents were active in local politics. [13] She studied law and politics at university. She now lives in Cardiff and is married to Ceri Lovett. Their first child was born while they were in their final year at university. [1] They have five children. [2] [3]

Related Research Articles

Plaid Cymru is a centre-left to left-wing, Welsh nationalist political party in Wales, committed to Welsh independence from the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senedd</span> Devolved parliament of Wales

The Senedd, officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and Senedd Cymru in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, it makes laws for Wales, agrees certain taxes and scrutinises the Welsh Government. It is a bilingual institution, with both Welsh and English being the official languages of its business. From its creation in May 1999 until May 2020, the Senedd was known as the National Assembly for Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wales Green Party</span> Political party in Wales

The Wales Green Party is a semi-autonomous political party within the Green Party of England and Wales (GPEW). It covers Wales, and is the only regional party with semi-autonomous status within the GPEW. The Wales Green Party puts up candidates for council, Senedd, and UK Parliament seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Wales</span> Political system

Politics in Wales forms a distinctive polity in the wider politics of the United Kingdom, with Wales as one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom (UK).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirsty Williams</span> Former Welsh Liberal Democrat politician and former Minister for Education

Victoria Kirstyn Williams is a Welsh politician who served as Minister for Education in the Welsh Government from 2016 to 2021. She was a Member of the Senedd (MS) from 1999 to 2021. She previously served as the Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats from December 2008 to May 2016 and subsequently from June 2017 to November 2017 in an acting capacity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welsh republicanism</span> Political ideology in Wales, advocating for an elected head of state

Welsh republicanism or republicanism in Wales is the political ideology of a Welsh republic, as opposed to Wales being presided over by the monarchy of the United Kingdom.

There are four types of elections in Wales: elections to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elections to the devolved Senedd, local elections to the 22 principal areas, and the Police and Crime Commissioner elections, in addition to by-elections for each aforementioned election. Elections are held on Election Day, which is conventionally a Thursday. Since the passing of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 for UK general elections, all four types of elections are held after fixed periods, though early elections to the UK parliament can occur in certain situations, with Senedd elections being postponed to avoid elections to the UK parliament and Senedd coinciding with each other.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welsh law</span> Primary and secondary legislation generated by the Senedd

Welsh law is an autonomous part of the English law system composed of legislation made by the Senedd. Wales is part of the legal jurisdiction of England and Wales, one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. However, due to devolution, the law in Wales is increasingly distinct from the law in England, since the Senedd, the devolved parliament of Wales, can legislate on non-reserved matters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welsh independence</span> Welsh political philosophy

Welsh independence is the political movement advocating for Wales to become a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Propel (political party)</span> Welsh political party

Propel is a sovereignist and Welsh nationalist political party in Wales which advocates Welsh independence from the United Kingdom. The party was formed in early 2020 by its current leader Neil McEvoy. Propel currently has only one county councillor in Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suzy Davies</span> Welsh politician

Suzy Davies is a Welsh Conservative Party politician, who served as a Member of the Senedd (MS) for South Wales West from 2011 to 2021. She was elected first on the Welsh Conservatives party list for the region in the 2011 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siân Gwenllian</span> Welsh politician

Siân Gwenllian is a Welsh Plaid Cymru politician who has represented the constituency of Arfon in the Senedd since 2016. She currently holds the seat with a majority of 8,642 votes.

The Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party, or in Wales, simply Abolish, is a registered single issue political party in Wales. It campaigns for the abolition of the Senedd, formerly known as the "National Assembly for Wales", the devolved legislature of Wales. Abolish advocates that devolved powers be returned to the Secretary of State for Wales within the UK Central Government and the Parliament of the United Kingdom at Westminster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil McEvoy</span> Welsh politician (born 1970)

Neil John McEvoy is a Welsh politician who is currently the leader of the Welsh nationalist political party Propel. He previously represented the South Wales Central region in the Senedd from 2016 until 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Senedd election</span> General election held in Wales on 6 May 2021

The 2021 Senedd election took place on Thursday 6 May 2021 to elect 60 members to the Senedd. It was the sixth devolved general election since the Senedd was established in 1999. The election was held alongside the Scottish Parliament election, English local elections, London Assembly and mayoral election and the Hartlepool by-election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Dodds</span> Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats

Jane Dodds MS is a Welsh politician who has served as Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats since 2017. She was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brecon and Radnorshire at the seat's 2019 by-election, but was an MP for only three months before being defeated in the general election later the same year. In May 2021, Dodds was elected to the Senedd on the Mid and West Wales list. She is the only Liberal Democrat MS in the Senedd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taxation in Wales</span> Overview of the taxation in Wales

Taxation in Wales typically comprises payments to one or more of the three different levels of government: the UK government, the Welsh Government, and local government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwlad</span> Nationalist political party in Wales

Gwlad is a centre-right Welsh nationalist and pro-independence political party. Its current leader is Gwyn Wigley Evans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Murphy (politician)</span> Welsh politician

Sarah Murphy is a Welsh Labour politician. She was elected as the Member of the Senedd (MS) for the Bridgend constituency at the 2021 Senedd election with a majority of 4,064.

Events from the year 2022 in Wales.

References

  1. 1 2 "I chose to be a mum at just 22". Wales Online. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  2. 1 2 Balch, Oliver. "Meet the world's first 'minister for future generations'". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Sophie Howe Future Generations Commissioner for Wales". Comisiynydd Cenedlaethau’r Dyfodol Cymru - Future Generations Commissioner for Wales. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  4. ↑ Myska, Sangita. "Positive Thinking: A Solution to Political Short-Termism". BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  5. ↑ "Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015". UK Government website. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  6. ↑ Morris, Steven. "This article is more than 2 years old 'Rich soup of life' in Gwent wetlands at risk from motorway". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  7. ↑ Morris, Steven. "Welsh commissioner offers funding to help staff leave abusive relationships". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  8. ↑ Gregory, Rhys. "Major study into basic income and shorter week launched by Future Generations Commissioner". Wales247. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  9. ↑ Davies, Cemlyn (19 October 2020). "'Pilot universal basic income and shorter working weeks in Wales'". BBC News. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  10. ↑ "Future Generations Commissioner for Wales". Future Generations Commissioner for Wales. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  11. ↑ "Wales' new Future Generations Commissioner announced". Welsh Government / Llywodraeth Cymru. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  12. ↑ "Hay Festival 2019 Programme". Hay Festival. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  13. 1 2 "Don't be afraid to put yourself out there". Welsh Housing Quarterly. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  14. ↑ "Sophie Howe Future Generations Commissioner for Wales and Honorary Research Fellow Cardiff Business School". Cardiff University. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  15. ↑ https://www.business-live.co.uk/enterprise/former-future-generations-commissioner-wales-26922428
  16. ↑ "Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, awarded UWTSD Honorary Doctorate". University of Wales Trinity Saint David. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  17. ↑ "Woman's Hour Power List 2020: The List". BBC Radio4. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  18. ↑ https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/south-wales-police-commissioner-dismisses-4331807
  19. ↑ https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/wales-outgoing-future-generations-commissioner-26262694
  20. ↑ https://twitter.com/WillHayCardiff/status/1627604944621649920
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.