Rhun ap Iorwerth has named his first Cabinet as First Minister of Wales
Rhun ap Iorwerth has named his first Cabinet as First Minister of Wales, with a Plaid Cymru-led minority government taking office in Cardiff.
The Plaid Cymru leader was elected First Minister by Members of the Senedd on Tuesday 12 May.
He is the first politician from a party other than Welsh Labour to hold the office since the Senedd was established in 1999.
Plaid Cymru won 43 of the 96 seats in the Senedd election on Thursday 7 May, six short of an outright majority.
Mr ap Iorwerth was confirmed as First Minister with 44 votes, supported by Plaid Cymru members and the Green Party. Labour and the Liberal Democrats abstained.
He succeeds Eluned Morgan, who lost her seat in the election and resigned as Welsh Labour leader.
The new Cabinet was announced by the Welsh Government on Wednesday afternoon, the day after Mr ap Iorwerth was sworn in at Welsh Government headquarters in Cathays Park.
The First Minister said his Cabinet would have a “relentless focus on doing what’s best for Wales”.
“This Cabinet will bring new energy, new ideas and a new direction to the way our nation is led,” he said.
“United and filled with talent and experience ready to serve, my government will believe in the art of the possible, working as one team every day to improve the lives of the people of Wales.
“Our principles will be our guide as we seek practical solutions to the issues faced by communities the length and breadth of our country, and we will pursue our missions with the energy and urgency they demand.
“Our pledge is simple, to repay people’s trust in us as quickly as we can, bringing the nation together. A new era of leadership starts today.”
The Cabinet in full
Sioned Williams is Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality.
Elin Jones is Cabinet Minister for Finance.
Heledd Fychan takes on a triple role as Trefnydd, Chief Whip and Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport.
Dafydd Trystan Davies is Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution.
Mabon ap Gwynfor is Cabinet Minister for Health and Care.
Adam Price is Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy.
Anna Brychan is Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language.
Llŷr Gruffydd is Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability.
Siân Gwenllian is Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning.
Four Deputy Ministers have also been appointed.
Nerys Evans is Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health.
Delyth Jewell is Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health.
Mark Hooper is Deputy Minister for Transport.
Cefin Campbell is Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education.
Elfyn Llwyd, the former Plaid Cymru MP, has been named Counsel General Designate.
Challenges ahead
Two of the chunkier portfolios in the new Cabinet are widely expected to set the direction of the government’s early months in office.
Cabinet Minister for Health and Care Mabon ap Gwynfor inherits responsibility for the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which covers Flintshire and the rest of North Wales. The board has spent significant periods in special measures over the past decade.
Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning Siân Gwenllian takes on the long-running question of council funding in Wales. Flintshire County Council has argued for years that the existing formula leaves it underfunded compared to other Welsh authorities, and a fair funding review is among the issues a new Welsh Government is likely to face pressure to address.
The Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Darren Millar MS, said the new government had “a monumental task ahead”.
“People in Wales did not vote for a change in personnel, they voted for a change in direction,” he said.
“We need new ideas and new governance, not the same old politics of the past 27 years.
“This new Plaid Cymru Government has a monumental task ahead of it, and for the sake of the people of Wales, I want it to succeed where Labour fell short.
“My magnificent seven Welsh Conservative team will do everything in our power to hold them to account and ensure they deliver for Wales.”
The Leader of Reform Wales, Dan Thomas MS, said the people of Wales needed the new Cabinet to deliver.
“Our NHS, our schools and our economy need urgent change, and while I may disagree with Plaid, we all need them to succeed,” he said.
“We will scrutinise their actions and work to ensure that their attention is on our public services and not Welsh independence.”
Welsh Labour, which lost its First Minister and its status as the largest party in a single week, has yet to respond.
Check live fuel prices near you before you set off.
Spotted something? Got a story? Email news (@) deeside.com
NEW: Add Deeside.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Latest News
