First Minister of Wales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids First Minister of Wales |
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.jpg) Eluned Morgan since 6 August 2024 |
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| Welsh Government Welsh Cabinet Senedd |
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| Style | First Minister (informal) The Right Honourable (UK and Commonwealth) Her Excellency (international) |
| Abbreviation | FM |
| Member of |
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| Reports to | Senedd |
| Seat | Crown Buildings, Cathays Park, Cardiff |
| Nominator | Senedd |
| Appointer | The Monarch |
| Term length | Five years |
| Formation | 12 May 1999 |
| First holder | Alun Michael AM |
| Salary | £148,575 per annum (2022) (including £67,920 MS salary) |
The First Minister of Wales (Welsh: Prif Weinidog Cymru) is the main leader of the Welsh Government. They are also in charge of the Welsh Seal, which is like an official stamp for Wales. The First Minister leads meetings of the Welsh Cabinet. Their main job is to create and share the Welsh Government's plans and policies.
The First Minister also helps promote Wales around the world. They handle important matters about how Wales is governed. The person in this role must be a Member of the Senedd. The Senedd (which is the Welsh Parliament) chooses who they want. Then, the Monarch officially appoints them.
The First Minister chooses other ministers and law officers for the Welsh Government. They are directly responsible to the Senedd for their actions. The main office for the First Minister is in Tŷ Hywel in Cardiff Bay. There is also another office at the Crown Buildings in Cardiff.
The current First Minister of Wales is Eluned Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Ely. She started her role in August 2024. The Senedd nominated her on August 6, 2024. King Charles III officially appointed her on the same day.
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What the Title Means
When this job was first created in 1998, it was called Assembly First Secretary. In Welsh, this was Prif Ysgrifennydd y Cynulliad. This title was used because Wales had a less powerful government than Northern Ireland or Scotland.
Also, the Welsh words for "First Minister," Prif Weinidog, can also mean "Prime Minister." A different title was chosen to avoid confusion with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The name changed to "First Minister" in October 2000. This happened when the Liberal Democrats and Labour formed a government together.
The Government of Wales Act 2006 made the title "First Minister" official. This law also made the First Minister the Keeper of the Welsh Seal.
How the First Minister is Chosen
Candidates for First Minister are put forward by the members of the Senedd. The members then vote to choose the First Minister. The person who gets the most votes wins. If no one gets a majority in the first vote, they keep voting until someone does. This does not mean they need more than half of all Senedd members to vote for them.
Once a person is chosen, the presiding officer sends a letter to the Monarch. The Monarch then officially appoints that person as First Minister.
In December 2023, Mark Drakeford said he would step down. He stayed in the role until Vaughan Gething replaced him on March 20, 2024. This happened after Vaughan Gething won the Welsh Labour leadership election.
On July 16, 2024, Vaughan Gething announced he would resign. On July 24, 2024, Eluned Morgan was chosen as the new Welsh Labour leader. She became First Minister after the Senedd officially nominated her on August 6, 2024. King Charles III approved her nomination on the same day.
Past Elections for First Minister
| Party key | Welsh Labour | |
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| Plaid Cymru | ||
| Welsh Conservatives |
| Parliamentary term | Date | Candidates | Votes received |
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| 5th Assembly | 11 May 2016 | Carwyn Jones | 29 |
| Leanne Wood | 29 | ||
| 12 December 2018 | Mark Drakeford | 30 | |
| Paul Davies | 12 | ||
| Adam Price | 9 | ||
| 6th Senedd | 20 March 2024 | Vaughan Gething | 27 |
| Andrew RT Davies | 13 | ||
| Rhun ap Iorwerth | 11 | ||
| 6 August 2024 | Eluned Morgan | 28 | |
| Andrew RT Davies | 15 | ||
| Rhun ap Iorwerth | 12 | ||
| Abstentions | 1 |
What the First Minister Does
The Government of Wales Act 1998 set up how the Welsh Government works. It gave powers to the Senedd. These powers were then given to the First Minister and other ministers.
Before the Government of Wales Act 2006, these powers came from the UK government. But after May 2007, the First Minister was appointed by the Monarch. This meant the First Minister represented the Crown in Wales. This was a big change. For the first time, the head of the Welsh Government was chosen by the Monarch based on the wishes of the Welsh people.
The First Minister chooses the Welsh Ministers, Deputy Welsh Ministers, and the Counsel General for Wales. Together, these people form the Welsh Government. The British Monarch must approve these choices.
Since 2007, Welsh ministers have had their own powers. If the UK Government wants to give more powers to Wales, they can do so directly to the Welsh Ministers. This happens through a special order approved by Parliament.
The First Minister is responsible for many things:
- Making sure the Welsh Government's cabinet does its job.
- Developing new policies and making sure they all work together.
- Managing relationships with the rest of the United Kingdom and other countries.
- Overseeing the staff who work for the Welsh Government.
See also
In Spanish: Ministro principal de Gales para niños
- List of First Ministers of Wales
- List of current heads of government in the United Kingdom and dependencies
- Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- Deputy First Minister of Wales
- Welsh Government
