New-look cabinet revealed
NEW First Minister Vaughan Gething has revealed his new-look cabinet.
He has shaken up the portfolios and named new people to sit in the Welsh Government’s cabinet to lead on specific policy areas.
Mr Gething was appointed on Wednesday after a vote in the Senedd.
Under his predecessor Mark Drakeford, there were 12 cabinet representatives with seven ministers and five deputy ministers.
The biggest portfolio was the climate change brief led by Julie James and with Lee Waters as her deputy.
The other top jobs were held by Eluned Morgan, as health minister, and Jeremy Miles as education minister.
Mr Miles came second to Mr Gething in the leadership campaign with 48.3% of the vote.
Under yesterday’s reshuffle Mr Miles takes a new role as cabinet secretary for economy, energy, and Welsh language. Mrs Morgan keeps the health role, while Lynne Neagle, MS for Torfaen, is promoted to cabinet secretary for education.
The biggest shock is that Ms Morgan keeps the health role. She hadn’t sounded keen to keep what is seen as probably the toughest job in cabinet when asked in recent interviews.
“It’s a very tough gig... let’s just see what happens,” she had said when asked a few weeks ago.
There are cabinet exits for Julie Morgan, the Cardiff North MS who was a close ally of Mr Drakeford and Lee Waters, who was seen as the force behind Wales’ 20mph default speed limit. He said he would not stay in the role of deputy climate change minister.
But it is a return to cabinet for Clwyd South MS Ken Skates, as he takes up the North Wales and transport brief. He was a key player in Mr Gething’s campaign and was almost nailed on for a return to frontline Welsh politics.
Until 2021, he was the economy minister, but had told Mr Drakeford he wanted to return to the backbenches, saying he wanted to focus more time in North Wales.
The transport element to his role is particularly interesting because he was one of those who criticised the
decision to freeze all road building projects, saying it cut people out.
Huw Irranca-Davies, MS for Ogmore, is a former MP for the same constituency. He was elected to the Senedd in 2016, and has previously been minister for social services and children. He becomes cabinet secretary for climate change and rural affairs.
It seemed fairly certain Lesley Griffiths would not keep the rural affairs brief. She had been at the fore of the criticism over the handling of EU replacement payments from farmers, which is going to be a challenge for her successor to deal with.
Mr Irranca-Davies’ official role is “climate change and rural affairs”,
while Ms Griffiths takes on what was being done by Jane Hutt – social justice – and culture, which had been the job of deputy minister Dawn Bowden in the last administration. Rebecca Evans keeps the finance brief.
Mr Gething said: I’m incredibly proud to bring together a government drawn from all parts of Wales to serve the whole of our nation, with progressive politics at its heart.
“In particular, I am pleased to appoint a minister for mental health and early years to ensure we deliver in the first 1,000 days of the life of every child.
“This ministerial team will answer the call of the generation in waiting, to create a stronger, fairer, greener Wales. We will take action to strengthen our economy by providing opportunities for everyone and being steadfast in our commitment to a just transition to net zero. Our goal to deliver green prosperity is reflected by the creation of a new cabinet secretary for economy, energy and Welsh language...
“While there will be many challenges ahead, there are even greater opportunities. I am ambitious about the work this team will do to make Wales an even better place.”
In reaction, Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives group, said: “This is a continuity cabinet that will simply deliver more of the same in Wales. We had hoped that Vaughan would use the chance of a clean slate to scrap Labour’s vanity projects and focus on fixing our broken public services, but it’s clear that he has no intention of doing that.
“While Labour would rather continue to spend precious time, energy and resources putting more politicians in Cardiff Bay, the Welsh Conservatives will focus on the people’s priorities.
Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said: “A new government must quickly satisfy the people of Wales of its competence and credibility and demonstrate the required conviction to turn the tide on Labour’s record in Wales. The scourge of child poverty, growing waiting lists, falling educational standards and a faltering economy demand fresh thinking and fast action.”