Carwyn Jones Facts for Kids

Ministerial offices

Minister for Education, Culture and the Welsh Language
In office 25 May 2007 – 19 July 2007
First Minister	Rhodri Morgan
Preceded by	Jane Davidson
Succeeded by	Jane Hutt
Minister for the Environment, Planning and Countryside
In office 13 May 2003 – 25 May 2007
First Minister	Rhodri Morgan
Preceded by	Delyth Evans
Succeeded by	Jane Davidson
Minister for Assembly Business
In office 18 June 2002 – 13 May 2003
First Minister	Rhodri Morgan
Preceded by	Andrew Davies
Succeeded by	Karen Sinclair
Minister for Agriculture and Rural Affairs
In office 23 July 2000 – 18 June 2002
First Minister	Rhodri Morgan
Preceded by	Christine Gwyther
Succeeded by	Mike German

Member of the Senedd
for Bridgend

In office
6 May 1999 – 29 April 2021

Preceded by

Constituency established

Succeeded by

Sarah Murphy

Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal

Incumbent

Assumed office
23 January 2025
Life peerage

Personal details

Born

Carwyn Howell Jones

21 March 1967 (age 58)
Swansea, Wales

Political party

Labour

Spouse

Lisa Jones

Children

Alma mater

Aberystwyth University
Inns of Court School of Law

Profession

Barrister

Cabinet

First Jones government
Second Jones government
Third Jones government

Signature

Carwyn Howell Jones, Baron Jones of Penybont, born on 21 March 1967, is a Welsh politician. He was the First Minister of Wales and Leader of Welsh Labour from 2009 to 2018. Before that, he served as the Counsel General for Wales from 2007 to 2009. Jones was also a Member of the Senedd (MS) for Bridgend from 1999 to 2021. Since 2025, he has been a member of the House of Lords.

Carwyn Jones: A Leader for Wales
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Carwyn Jones: A Leader for Wales

Carwyn Jones held several important roles in the Welsh Government. From 2000 to 2002, he was the Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development. He then became the Minister of State for the Environment from 2003 to 2007. After the 2007 election, he was appointed Minister for Education, Culture, and the Welsh Language. Later, he became the Counsel General for Wales and Leader of the House.

Jones became the First Minister and leader of Welsh Labour on 1 December 2009. He was the third person to lead the Welsh Government. He was officially sworn into office on 10 December 2009. In April 2018, he announced he would step down. Mark Drakeford took over as First Minister in December 2018.

Early Life and Education

Carwyn Jones was born in Swansea, Wales. He grew up in Bridgend in a family that spoke Welsh, and he is fluent in the language. He went to Brynteg Comprehensive School in Bridgend. In 1988, he earned a law degree from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. He joined the Labour Party during the 1984–5 Miners' Strike.

Journey to Politics

After university, Carwyn Jones trained to become a barrister. He worked as a barrister for ten years in Swansea, focusing on family, criminal, and personal injury law. He then taught law at Cardiff University for two years.

Jones tried to become a Member of Parliament in 1997 but was not successful. In 1999, he had the chance to run for the Bridgend constituency in the first elections for the Welsh Assembly. He won this seat and held it until 2021. Before becoming an Assembly Member, he was a local councillor for Bridgend for five years.

Becoming First Minister

Premiership of Carwyn Jones

10 December 2009 – 12 December 2018
Premier	Carwyn Jones
Cabinet	1st Jones government 2nd Jones government< 3rd Jones government
Party	Welsh Labour Party
Election	2011, 2016
Appointer	Elizabeth II
Seat	Tŷ Hywel
← Rhodri Morgan • Mark Drakeford →

As a Member for Bridgend, Jones was appointed Deputy Secretary in the National Assembly for Wales in 2000. He became Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Welsh Government in July 2000. His duties included the environment, countryside, and agriculture. He also helped manage the Welsh response to the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

After the 2007 election, he became Minister for Education, Culture, and the Welsh Language. When his party formed a coalition with Plaid Cymru, Jones was appointed as Counsel General for Wales and Leader of the House.

In September 2009, Rhodri Morgan, the First Minister, announced he would resign. Carwyn Jones ran to be his successor. On 1 December 2009, Jones was elected the new leader of Welsh Labour.

Leading the Welsh Government

After winning the leadership election, Carwyn Jones became the third First Minister of Wales on 9 December 2009. He was officially sworn in the next day. In 2010, he became a Privy Counsellor. After the 2011 elections, Labour gained more seats. Jones decided to form a minority government, meaning Labour governed alone.

During his time as First Minister, Jones sometimes had disagreements with the UK government. For example, in 2012, there were discussions about government spending cuts. Jones and the UK Deputy Prime Minister had different views on how to help the Welsh economy. Jones believed the Welsh Government was working hard to support businesses.

In 2013, Jones stated he was against Scottish independence in their referendum.

The 2016 Election Challenge

After the 2016 National Assembly for Wales election, the Labour Party did not win enough seats for a majority. Carwyn Jones began talks with other parties to stay in power. Both Carwyn Jones and Leanne Wood were nominated for First Minister. In a vote on 11 May 2016, they tied with 29 votes each. If a First Minister isn't chosen within 28 days, new elections would be needed.

After more talks with Plaid Cymru, a second vote was held on 18 May. This time, Jones was re-elected without opposition. He was sworn in on 19 May and formed a minority government. He appointed Kirsty Williams, the former Welsh Liberal Democrat leader, as Education Secretary.

Stepping Down as First Minister

On 21 April 2018, Carwyn Jones announced he would step down as First Minister in the autumn. In May 2018, he also said he would leave the Welsh Assembly at the next election in 2021.

After Mark Drakeford was elected as the new leader of Welsh Labour, Jones officially resigned as First Minister to the Queen on 12 December 2018. Drakeford became First Minister the next day. Jones continued to serve as a Member of the Senedd for Bridgend until the 2021 election.

Post-Leadership Career

Since stepping down, Carwyn Jones has been involved in public discussions about Welsh issues. He has debated Welsh independence, saying that Wales is "not too poor to be independent." However, he still supports greater devolution (more powers for Wales) rather than full independence.

Jones is now a senior contributor to "Business News Wales," a business news platform. He also hosts a podcast series called "Carwyn Meets," where he interviews various leaders.

In January 2020, Jones was appointed as a Professor of Law at Aberystwyth University. He works part-time in the law and criminology department. In November 2020, he was elected to the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party. In May 2021, Jones became the Chair of Trustees for the Welsh Climate Charity, Size of Wales. In December 2024, he was nominated for a life peerage and became Baron Jones of Penybont on 23 January 2024.

Personal Life

Carwyn Jones met his wife, Lisa, at Aberystwyth University. Lisa is from Belfast. They have two children together.

Honorary Degrees

Country	Date	School	Degree
Wales	2019	Aberystwyth University	Honorary Fellow

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Carwyn Jones's signature

Carwyn Jones facts for kids

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