First Minister of Wales

This article is about the leader of the Welsh Government. For the leader of the UK Government, see Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Prif Weinidog Cymru
First Minister of Wales
Logo used to represent First Minister
Flag of Wales
Incumbent Mark Drakeford since 13 December 2018 (2018-12-13)
Style	First Minister (informal) The Right Honourable (UK and Commonwealth) His Excellency (international)
Status	Head of Government
Abbreviation	FM
Member of	Senedd Cabinet
Reports to	Senedd
Seat	Cardiff
Nominator	Senedd
Appointer	The Monarch
Term length	Five years
Formation	12 May 1999
First holder	Alun Michael AM
Salary	£147,983 per annum
Website	gov.wales/rt-hon-mark-drakeford-ms

The first minister of Wales (Welsh: prif weinidog Cymru) is the leader of the Welsh Government and keeper of the Welsh Seal. The first minister chairs the Welsh Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Welsh Government policy. Additional functions of the first minister include promoting and representing Wales in an official capacity, at home and abroad, and responsibility for constitutional affairs, as they relate to devolution and the Welsh Government.

The first minister is a Member of the Senedd, and is nominated by the Senedd (Welsh Parliament; Welsh: Senedd Cymru)—before being officially appointed by the Monarch. Members of the Welsh Cabinet and junior ministers of the Welsh Government, as well as law officers, are appointed by the first minister. As head of the Welsh Government, the first minister is directly accountable to the Senedd for their actions and the actions of the Welsh Government. The main office of the first minister is in Tŷ Hywel which is adjacent to the Senedd building in Cardiff Bay. An additional office is also kept at the Crown Buildings, Cathays Park, Cardiff which is the headquarters of the Welsh Government.

Mark Drakeford of the Welsh Labour Party is the current first minister of Wales. He assumed office on 13 December 2018 as Wales' fourth First Minister, and the fourth first minister from the Labour Party, succeeding Carwyn Jones.

Terminology

Where initially established under the Government of Wales Act 1998, Section 53(1), the post was known as Assembly First Secretary (Welsh: Prif Ysgrifennydd y Cynulliad), as Wales was given a less powerful assembly and executive than either Northern Ireland or Scotland. The choice of title was also attributed to the fact that the Welsh term for First Minister, Prif Weinidog, may also be translated as Prime Minister, so a different title was chosen to avoid confusion with the prime minister of the United Kingdom. The change of title occurred after the Liberal Democrats formed a coalition government with Labour in the Welsh Assembly in October 2000. The Government of Wales Act 2006 allowed for the post to be officially known as "First Minister" and also made the first minister Keeper of the Welsh Seal.

Nomination and appointment

Candidates for the position of First Minister are nominated by the members of the Senedd. The members elect the nominee for the first minister by majority vote. If no one is elected by a majority of votes cast with the first set of nominations, the process continues until a majority decide to cast their vote for one candidate. This process does not require an absolute majority of the Senedd (currently 31 out of 60 members)

Once this process has occurred the presiding officer shall formally send a letter to the reigning Monarch who must then appoint that nominee to the position of First Minister.

Role

Under the arrangements in the Government of Wales Act 1998, executive functions are conferred on the Senedd 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 represents the Crown in Wales. Whilst this has little practical difference, it was a huge symbolic shift as for the first time the head of government in Wales is appointed by the Crown on the advice of the elected representatives of the Welsh people.

The first minister appoints the Welsh Ministers, Deputy Welsh Ministers and the Counsel General for Wales (collectively known as the Welsh Government), with the approval of Her Majesty.

Following separation between the legislative and the executive on the enactment of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (upon appointment of the first minister, 25 May 2007), the Welsh Ministers exercise functions in their own right. Any 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 and responsible for:

• Exercise of functions by the Cabinet of the Welsh 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 Secretaries and First Ministers

No.		Portrait	Name (Birth–Death) Constituency/Title	Term of office			Political party	Elected	Government	Deputy
	1		Alun Michael (1943–) AM for Mid and West Wales As First Secretary	12 May 1999	9 February 2000	273 days	Labour	1999	Michael Lab (minority)	none
	2		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 Morgan Lab (minority)	none
								—	1st Morgan Lab – LD		Mike German (LD) 2000–01 and 2002-03 Jenny Randerson 2001–02 (acting)
								2003	2nd Morgan Lab (minority)	none
								2007	3rd Morgan Lab (minority)
								—	4th Morgan Lab – Plaid		Ieuan Wyn Jones (Plaid Cymru)
	3		Carwyn Jones (1967–) AM for Bridgend	10 December 2009	12 December 2018<	9 years, 2 days	Labour	—	1st Jones Lab – Plaid
								2011	2nd Jones Lab (minority)	none
								2016	3rd Jones Lab – LD - Ind
	4		Mark Drakeford (1954–) MS for Cardiff West	13 December 2018	Incumbent	5 years, 302 days*	Labour	—	Drakeford Lab – LD - Ind	none
								2021	2nd Drakeford Lab (minority)	none

* Incumbent's duration of term of office last updated: 9 October 2024.

Timeline

Previous nominations

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.

2018

2018 Nomination of First Minister

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

2016

2016 Nomination of First Minister

Date:		11 May 2016
Candidate		Votes
	Carwyn Jones (Labour)	29 / 58
	Leanne Wood (Plaid Cymru)	29 / 58
	Abstentions	0 / 56
Source: Senedd

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.

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.

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.

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.

2000

On 9 February 2000, following the resignation of Alun Michael, the Assembly cabinet unanimously elected Rhodri Morgan as acting First Secretary.

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.

See also

• List of current heads of government in the United Kingdom and dependencies
• Deputy First Minister for Wales
• Welsh Government

Notes

• Dates are from World Statesmen and various BBC News Online articles from 1999 to 2003.

External links

• [1] Roles and Responsibilities.
• Cabinet members and ministers Welsh Government: Cabinet and ministers.