Kirsty: I’d stay in the Cabinet under a new First Minister
THE Welsh Cabinet’s only non-Labour member has said she would be prepared to stay on under a new First Minister after Carwyn Jones relinquishes the post later this year.
But Liberal Democrat AM Kirsty Williams acknowledges that the agreement that saw her appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Education following the last National Assembly election in 2016 was a personal arrangement with Mr Jones.
The election saw the Labour group reduced to 29 out of 60 AMs, with opposition parties holding 31 seats between them.
At the first meeting of the Assembly’s new term, Mr Jones and Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood tied in the election for First Minister.
It was Kirsty Williams’ vote for Mr Jones that allowed him to fight on. Negotiations took place between the parties and Labour did a Budget deal with Plaid.
After Mr Jones was elected First Minister at the next Assembly plenary session, he appointed Ms Williams to the Cabinet post she still holds, effectively restoring the number of Welsh Government-supporting AMs to the 30 it had held in the previous term.
As the sole Liberal Democrat AM, the agreement between Ms Williams and Mr Jones is not technically a coalition deal.
It did, however, include policy commitments on joint priorities like increasing the number of nurses and affordable homes, and limits to infant class sizes.
Subsequently Mr Jones consolidated Labour’s position further by appointing Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas as the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport after he left Plaid Cymru to sit as an Independent.
Speaking on BBC Radio Wales’ Sunday Supplement programme, Ms Williams, who has represented Brecon and Radnorshire since the Assembly was founded in 1999, said: “The progressive agreement that brought me into government was one that was signed between myself and the current First Minister.
“If I was to stay in this particular role, it would have to be on the basis of any new First Minister agreeing to the continuation of those policy priorities that myself and Carwyn Jones signed up to.
“For me, at the moment, what’s important is that we have set out what we want to do to transform the education system in Wales in our schools, our colleges, our universities and in adult education.
“I’m determined to spend the time that I have making sure that is implemented and we achieve the goals of our national mission, which is to raise standards and to make sure that everybody in Wales has an opportunity via education to be the very best that they can be.”
So far Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford and Health Secretary Vaughan Gething have declared their hope to succeed Mr Jones as First Minister and Welsh Labour leader, with others considering their positions.
Mr Drakeford has already secured pledges of support from more than the five AMs needed to get on to the leadership ballot, while Mr Gething is one AM short.
A Welsh Labour insider said: “It is difficult to imagine whoever turns out to be Carwyn’s successor not wanting to continue the deal with Kirsty.
“Having her on board has greatly relieved the pressure on Carwyn for two reasons. He now has an effective majority, with the opposition unable to win crucial votes. And the most effective opposition party leader in the last term has been taken out of the equation.
“While there was some grumbling within the Labour group at the time Kirsty was appointed, the numbers wouldn’t have stacked up otherwise. And some of the new group members have been promoted since, defusing their sense of frustration.”
The party insider added: “Ditching Kirsty from the Cabinet would put her back with the opposition and deprive Labour of its majority.
“It would be totally against the interests of any incoming First Minister to create that kind of instability for the remainder of the Assembly term when they are looking towards the next election.”