Lesley Griffiths
| Lesley Griffiths AM | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of the Welsh Assembly for Wrexham |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 3 May 2007 |
|
| Preceded by | John Marek |
| Majority | 3,337 (17.9%) |
| Minister for Health and Social Services | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 13 May 2011 |
|
| First Minister | Carwyn Jones |
| Preceded by | Edwina Hart |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1960 (age 51–52) |
| Political party | Welsh Labour |
(Susan) Lesley Griffiths AM (born 1960) is a Welsh Labour[1] politician. She worked as a secretary to John Marek and the constituency assistant to Ian Lucas, successive Members of Parliament for Wrexham, and was elected to the National Assembly for Wales from the Wrexham constituency in 2007. In 2011, she was appointed Minister for Health and Social Services[2].
Contents |
[edit] 2003 campaign
After a Labour Party inquiry, where Marek was first contacted by telephone half an hour before the result was announced, the non-selection was upheld, and Marek decided to fight to retain his seat as an Independent.[3] Griffiths faced an uphill battle during the campaign; an early poll showed Marek beating her by 40% to 29%.[4] On polling day, Griffiths had closed the gap but was beaten by 973 votes.
[edit] 2007 election
Having been a supporter of Wrexham Football Club, Griffiths was elected to the board of the Wrexham Supporters Trust. In December 2005 she was selected again as Labour candidate for the Wrexham constituency for the 2007 Assembly elections. She benefited from high-profile support as the party saw an opportunity to recapture the seat; John Marek appealed to the large Polish immigrant population by translating his election material into Polish.[5] However, Griffiths increased her numerical vote while Marek's vote fell, and she won the seat by 1,250.
[edit] Ministerial responsibility
Griffiths was appointed Deputy Minister for Science, Innovation and Skills in December 2009.[6] After the 2011 election, she was promoted to the Minister for Health and Social Services.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.senedd.assemblywales.org/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=154
- ^ http://wales.gov.uk/newsroom/firstminister/2011/cabinet/?lang=en
- ^ Martin Shipton, "Marek likely to stand as independent", Western Mail, 12 March 2003.
- ^ Kirsty Buchanan, "Marek beating Labour", Western Mail, 11 April 2003.
- ^ Allegra Stratton, "'Glosuj na mnie!'", New Statesman, 30 April 2007.
- ^ "Welsh Assembly Government:Lesley Griffiths AM". Welsh Assembly Government website. Welsh Assembly Government. 2010. http://wales.gov.uk/about/cabinet/deputyministers/lesleygriffiths?lang=en. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
[edit] External links
[edit] Offices held
| National Assembly for Wales | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Marek |
Assembly Member for Wrexham 2007–present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by John Griffiths |
Deputy Minister for Science, Innovation and Skills 2009–present |
Incumbent |
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