This is a list of the first ministers of Wales. The role of "First Secretary of Wales" was introduced in 1999 with the establishment of the National Assembly for Wales (now Senedd) following the 1997 referendum. The title of the role was changed to "First Minister of Wales" in October 2000, a change which was recognised in law following the enactment of the Government of Wales Act 2006. All first ministers to date have also served concurrently as leader of Welsh Labour.[1]
- Top left: Alun Michael was the first-ever first minister of Wales.
- Top right: Rhodri Morgan was the longest-serving first minister of Wales.
- Bottom left: Vaughan Gething was the first Black first minister of Wales and the shortest-serving first minister.
- Bottom right: Eluned Morgan, the current first minister and first female first minister.
List of First Ministers of Wales
| No. | Portrait | Name
(Birth–Death) Constituency/Title |
Term of office | Political party | Elected | Government | Deputy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Alun Michael (born 1943) AM for Mid and West Wales As First Secretary |
12 May 1999 |
9 February 2000 |
273 days | Labour[a] | 1999 | Michael Lab (minority) |
none | ||
| 2 | .jpg) |
Rhodri Morgan (1939–2017) AM for Cardiff West Office renamed First Minister on 16 October 2000 |
9 February
2000 |
10 December
2009 |
9 years, 304 days | Labour | Interim Rh. Morgan Lab (minority) |
none | |||
| Rh. Morgan I Lab – LD |
Mike German (LD) 2000–01 and 2002-03 Jenny Randerson | ||||||||||
| 2003 | Rh. Morgan II Lab (minority) |
none | |||||||||
| 2007 | Rh. Morgan III Lab (minority) | ||||||||||
| Rh. Morgan IV Lab – Plaid |
Ieuan Wyn Jones (Plaid Cymru) | ||||||||||
| 3 | _(cropped).jpg) |
Carwyn Jones (born 1967) AM for Bridgend |
10 December
2009 |
12 December
2018[2] |
9 years, 2 days | Labour | Jones I Lab – Plaid | ||||
| 2011 | Jones II Lab (minority) |
none | |||||||||
| 2016 | Jones III Lab – LD - Ind | ||||||||||
| 4 | .jpg) |
Mark Drakeford (born 1954) MS for Cardiff West |
13 December
2018 |
20 March
2024 |
5 years, 98 days | Labour | Drakeford I Lab – LD - Ind |
none | |||
| 2021 | Drakeford II Lab (minority) |
none | |||||||||
| 5 | .jpg) |
Vaughan Gething (born 1974) MS for Cardiff South and Penarth |
20 March
2024 |
5 August
2024 |
138 days | Labour[a] | Gething Lab (minority) |
none | |||
| 6 | _(cropped).jpg) |
Eluned Morgan
Baroness Morgan of Ely (born 1967) MS for Mid and West Wales |
6 August
2024 |
Incumbent | 140 days | Labour[a] | E. Morgan Lab (minority) |
Huw Irranca-Davies Labour | |||
Timeline
Previous nominations
August 2024
| Date: | 6 August 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | |
| Eluned Morgan (Labour) |
28 / 56 | |
| Andrew R. T. Davies (Conservative) |
15 / 56 | |
| Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru) |
12 / 56 | |
| Abstentions | 1 / 56 | |
| Source: Senedd[3] | ||
March 2024
| Date: | 20 March 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | |
| Vaughan Gething (Labour) |
27 / 51 | |
| Andrew R.T. Davies (Conservative) |
13 / 51 | |
| Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru) |
11 / 51 | |
| Source: Senedd[4] | ||
2021
On 12 May 2021, Mark Drakeford was the only person nominated for the position (by Rebecca Evans), and was a subsequently recommended by the presiding officer to be appointed as First Minister.[5]
2018
| Date: | 12 December 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | |
| Mark Drakeford (Labour) |
30 / 56 | |
| Paul Davies (Conservative) |
12 / 56 | |
| Adam Price (Plaid Cymru) |
9 / 56 | |
| Abstentions | 5 / 56 | |
| Source: Senedd[6] | ||
2016
| Date: | 11 May 2016 | |
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | |
| Carwyn Jones (Labour) |
29 / 58 | |
| Leanne Wood[b] (Plaid Cymru) |
29 / 58 | |
| Abstentions | 0 / 56 | |
| Source: Senedd[8] | ||
2011
On 11 May 2011, Carwyn Jones was the only person nominated for the position (by Janice Gregory), and was a subsequently recommended by the presiding officer to be appointed as First Minister.[9]
2009
On 9 December 2009, Carwyn Jones was the only person nominated for the position (by Rhodri Morgan), and was a subsequently recommended by the presiding officer to be appointed as First Minister.[10]
2007
On 25 May 2007, Rhodri Morgan was the only person nominated for the position (by Jane Hutt), and was a subsequently recommended by the presiding officer to be appointed as First Minister.[11]
2003
On 7 May 2003, Rhodri Morgan was the only person nominated for the position (by Lynne Neagle), and was a subsequently elected as First Minister.[12]
2000
On Wednesday 9 February 2000, following the resignation of Alun Michael, the Assembly cabinet unanimously elected Rhodri Morgan as acting First Secretary.[13] He was elected unopposed as First Secretary by the whole Assembly (after being proposed by Andrew Davies) the following week on Tuesday 15 February.[14]
1999
On 12 May 1999, Alun Michael was the only person nominated for the position (by Rhodri Morgan and seconded by Ann Jones), and was a subsequently elected as First Secretary.[15]
References
Notes
External links
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