The
First Minister is the leader of the
Welsh Assembly GovernmentThe Welsh Assembly Government was firstly an executive body of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of the First Minister and his Cabinet from 1999 to 2007....
,
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
' devolved administration, which was established in 1999. When initially set up under the
Government of Wales Act 1998This is about the Act that set up the Welsh Assembly. For the newer Government of Wales Act 2006, see that article.The Government of Wales Act, 1998 This is about the Act that set up the Welsh Assembly. For the newer Government of Wales Act 2006, see that article.The Government of Wales Act, 1998...
, the title was known as
First Secretary (in
WelshWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic spoken natively in Wales, in England by some along the Welsh border and in the Welsh immigrant colony in the Chubut Valley in Argentine Patagonia....
Prif Ysgrifennydd), as Wales was given a less powerful assembly and executive than
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it is situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. This was also attributed to the fact that the Welsh term for
First Minister,
Prif Weinidog, also translates as
Prime Minister, so a different title was chosen to avoid confusion with the
Prime Minister of the United KingdomThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom and the Head of Her Majesty's Government...
.
The official office of the First Minister is in Ty Hywel, previously known as Crickhowell House, and the
SeneddThe Senedd , also known as the National Assembly building, houses the debating chamber and three committee rooms for the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff, Wales. The building was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 1 March 2006 and the total cost was GB£69.6 million, which included £49.7M in...
in
Cardiff BayCardiff Bay is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay is now widely regarded as one of the most successful regeneration projects in the UK. The Bay is supplied by two rivers to form a freshwater lake round the former...
, however, an office is also kept at the Welsh Assembly Government building in
Cathays ParkCathays Park is a civic centre area in the city centre of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, consisting of a number of early 20th century buildings and a central park area, Alexandra Gardens. It includes Edwardian buildings such as the Temple of Peace, City Hall, the National Museum and Gallery...
.
Under the arrangements in the Government of Wales Act, 1998, executive functions are conferred on the National Assembly for Wales and then separately delegated to the First Minister and to other Cabinet Ministers and staff as appropriate.
Until the Government of Wales Act 2006 these were delegated powers of the UK government.
The
First Minister is the leader of the
Welsh Assembly GovernmentThe Welsh Assembly Government was firstly an executive body of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of the First Minister and his Cabinet from 1999 to 2007....
,
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
' devolved administration, which was established in 1999. When initially set up under the
Government of Wales Act 1998This is about the Act that set up the Welsh Assembly. For the newer Government of Wales Act 2006, see that article.The Government of Wales Act, 1998 This is about the Act that set up the Welsh Assembly. For the newer Government of Wales Act 2006, see that article.The Government of Wales Act, 1998...
, the title was known as
First Secretary (in
WelshWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic spoken natively in Wales, in England by some along the Welsh border and in the Welsh immigrant colony in the Chubut Valley in Argentine Patagonia....
Prif Ysgrifennydd), as Wales was given a less powerful assembly and executive than
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it is situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. This was also attributed to the fact that the Welsh term for
First Minister,
Prif Weinidog, also translates as
Prime Minister, so a different title was chosen to avoid confusion with the
Prime Minister of the United KingdomThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom and the Head of Her Majesty's Government...
.
The official office of the First Minister is in Ty Hywel, previously known as Crickhowell House, and the
SeneddThe Senedd , also known as the National Assembly building, houses the debating chamber and three committee rooms for the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff, Wales. The building was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 1 March 2006 and the total cost was GB£69.6 million, which included £49.7M in...
in
Cardiff BayCardiff Bay is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay is now widely regarded as one of the most successful regeneration projects in the UK. The Bay is supplied by two rivers to form a freshwater lake round the former...
, however, an office is also kept at the Welsh Assembly Government building in
Cathays ParkCathays Park is a civic centre area in the city centre of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, consisting of a number of early 20th century buildings and a central park area, Alexandra Gardens. It includes Edwardian buildings such as the Temple of Peace, City Hall, the National Museum and Gallery...
.
Role
Under the arrangements in the Government of Wales Act, 1998, executive functions are conferred on the National Assembly for Wales and then separately delegated to the First Minister and to other Cabinet Ministers and staff as appropriate.
Until the Government of Wales Act 2006 these were delegated powers of the UK government. Since that Act came into force in May 2007 however the First Minister is appointed by the monarch and will represent
the CrownThe Crown is a corporation sole that in certain countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as in any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof, represents the legal embodiment of executive government...
in Wales. Whilst this will have little practical difference it is a huge symbolic shift as for the first time in centuries the head of government in Wales will be appointed by the Crown on the advice of the elected representatives of the Welsh people. This makes Wales equal in status, in this respect, to Scotland and Northern Ireland within the devolved structures of the UK, although it still does not yet make its own Acts of Parliament.
This change of title occurred after the Liberal Democrats formed a
coalition governmentA coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
with
LabourWelsh Labour is part of the United Kingdom Labour Party which operates in Wales. Labour is the largest and most successful political party in modern Welsh politics, having won the largest share of the vote at every UK General Election and Welsh Assembly election since 1922, and each European...
in the Welsh Assembly in October 2000. The Government of Wales Bill (2006) allowed for the post to be officially known as the First Minister and also made the First Minister,
Keeper of the Welsh Seal.
The First Minister will subsequently appoint the Welsh Ministers, Deputy Welsh Ministers and the
Counsel General for WalesThe Counsel General for Wales advises the Welsh Assembly Government on Welsh legislative matters and advises on legislative competency. The position of the Counsel General for Wales is described in the Government of Wales Act 2006 and controlled in Standing Order 5 .The Counsel General is a member...
(collectively known as the
Welsh Assembly GovernmentThe Welsh Assembly Government was firstly an executive body of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of the First Minister and his Cabinet from 1999 to 2007....
), with the approval of Her Majesty.
Following separation between the legislative and the executive on the enactment of the
Government of Wales Act 2006The Government of Wales Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reforms the National Assembly for Wales and allows further powers to be granted to it more easily...
(upon appointment of the First Minister, 25 May 2007), the Welsh Ministers will exercise functions in their own right and further transfers of executive functions from the UK Government will be made directly to the Welsh Ministers (with their consent) by an Order in Council approved by Parliament.
The First Minister is Accountable/Responsible for:
- Exercise of functions by the Cabinet of the Welsh Assembly Government.
- Policy development and coordination of policy.
- The relationships with the rest of the United Kingdom, Europe and Wales Abroad.
- Staffing/Civil Service
List of First Ministers
(originally the office of First Secretary)
| Name |
Picture |
In office |
Political party |
Government |
|
Alun Edward Michael |
 |
12 May 1999 - 9 February 2000 |
Labour |
Labour |
|
Hywel Rhodri Morgan |
 |
since 15 February 2000
Acting: 9 February 2000 |
Labour |
Labour, Labour/Liberal Democrat Coalition, Labour/Plaid Cymru Coalition |
List of Deputy First Ministers
| Name |
Picture |
In office |
Political party |
Government |
Office held in tandem with |
|
Michael German |
 |
16 October 2000 - 8 May 2003
Acting: Jenny RandersonJennifer Randerson is a Welsh Liberal Democrat politician, and Member of the Welsh Assembly for Cardiff Central.-Background:...
6 July 2001 - 13 June 2002 |
Liberal DemocratsThe Welsh Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties of the Liberal Democrats and operate within Wales.The Welsh Liberal Democrats currently hold 6 of 60 seats in the National Assembly for Wales and 4 of 40 Welsh seats in the UK Parliament, but none of four Welsh seats in the European...
|
Labour/Liberal Democrat Coalition |
Minister for Economic Development |
|
Ieuan Wyn JonesIeuan Wyn Jones, AM is leader of Plaid Cymru, Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government and Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Ynys Môn constituency. He was Member of the UK parliament for Ynys Môn constituency from 1987-2001...
|
 |
since 11 July 2007 |
Plaid CymruPlaid Cymru is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union.Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
|
Labour/Plaid Cymru Coalition |
Minister for Economy and Transport |
External links
Sources
- Dates are from World Statesmen and various BBC News Online articles from 1999 to 2003.