List of first ministers of Wales

  • Top left: Alun Michael was the first-ever first minister (then first secretary) of Wales.
  • Top right: Rhodri Morgan was the longest-serving first minister of Wales.
  • Bottom left: Eluned Morgan was the first female first minister of Wales.
  • Bottom right: Rhun ap Iorwerth is the current first minister of Wales.

This is a list of the first ministers of Wales. The role of "First Secretary of Wales" was introduced in 1999 with the establishment of the National Assembly for Wales (now Senedd) following the 1997 referendum. The title of the role was changed to "First Minister of Wales" in October 2000, a change which was recognised in law following the enactment of the Government of Wales Act 2006. Until 2026, all first ministers to date also served concurrently as leader of Welsh Labour.[1]

After the 2026 Senedd election, Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth became the first officeholder to come from a party other than Welsh Labour.

List of First Ministers of Wales

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Constituency/Title		 Term of office Political party Elected Government Deputy
Start of term End of term Tenure
1 Alun Michael
(born 1943)
AM for Mid and West Wales
as First Secretary		 12 May
1999		 9 February
2000		 273 days Labour Co-op 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[a]		 9 December
2009		 9 years, 303 days Labour — Interim Rh. Morgan
Lab (minority)		 none
Rh. Morgan I
Lab – LD		 Mike German (LD)
2000–01 and 2002-03

Jenny Randerson
2001–02 (acting)

2003 Rh. Morgan II
Lab (minority)		 none
2007 Rh. Morgan III
Lab (minority)
— Rh. Morgan IV
Lab – Plaid		 Ieuan Wyn Jones
(Plaid Cymru)
3 Carwyn Jones
later created Baron Jones of Penybont
(born 1967)
AM for Bridgend		 10 December
2009		 12 December
2018[2]		 9 years, 2 days Labour Jones I
Lab – Plaid
2011 Jones II
Lab (minority)		 none
2016 Jones III
Lab – LD - Ind
4 Mark Drakeford
(born 1954)
MS for Cardiff West		 13 December
2018		 20 March
2024		 5 years, 98 days Labour — Drakeford I
Lab – LD - Ind		 none
2021 Drakeford II
Lab (minority)		 none
5 Vaughan Gething
(born 1974)
MS for Cardiff South and Penarth		 20 March
2024		 5 August
2024		 138 days Labour Co-op — Gething
Lab (minority)		 none
6 Eluned Morgan,
Baroness Morgan of Ely
(born 1967)
MS for Mid and West Wales		 6 August
2024		 12 May
2026		 1 year, 280 days Labour E. Morgan
Lab (minority)		 Huw Irranca-Davies
(Labour)
7 Rhun ap Iorwerth
(born 1972)
MS for Bangor Conwy Môn		 12 May
2026		 Incumbent 112 days Plaid Cymru 2026 ap Iorwerth
Plaid (minority)		 Sioned Williams
(Plaid Cymru)

Timeline

This is a graphical lifespan timeline of the first secretaries and first ministers of Wales. They are listed in order of first assuming office.

Rhun ap IorwerthEluned MorganVaughan GethingMark DrakefordCarwyn JonesRhodri MorganAlun Michael

The following chart lists first secretaries and first ministers by lifespan (living first secretaries and first ministers on the green line), with the years outside of their tenure in beige.

Rhun ap IorwerthEluned MorganVaughan GethingMark DrakefordCarwyn JonesRhodri MorganAlun Michael

The following chart shows first secretaries and first ministers by their age (living first secretaries and first ministers in green), with the years of their tenure in blue.

Previous nominations

2026

2026 Nomination of First Minister
Date: 12 May 2026
Candidate Votes
Rhun ap Iorwerth
(Plaid Cymru)
44 / 94
Dan Thomas
(Reform)
34 / 94
Darren Millar
(Conservative)
7 / 94
Abstentions
9 / 94
Source: Senedd[3]

August 2024

August 2024 Nomination of First Minister
Date: 6 August 2024
Candidate Votes
Eluned Morgan
(Labour)
28 / 56
Andrew R. T. Davies
(Conservative)
15 / 56
Rhun ap Iorwerth
(Plaid Cymru)
12 / 56
Abstentions
1 / 56
Source: Senedd[4]

March 2024

March 2024 Nomination of First Minister
Date: 20 March 2024
Candidate Votes
Vaughan Gething
(Labour)
27 / 51
Andrew R.T. Davies
(Conservative)
13 / 51
Rhun ap Iorwerth
(Plaid Cymru)
11 / 51
Source: Senedd[5]

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.[6]

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[7]

2016

2016 Nomination of First Minister
Date: 11 May 2016
Candidate Votes
Carwyn Jones
(Labour)
29 / 58
Leanne Wood[b]
(Plaid Cymru)
29 / 58
Abstentions
0 / 56
Source: Senedd[9]

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.[10]

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.[11]

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.[12]

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.[13]

2000

On Wednesday 9 February 2000, following the resignation of Alun Michael, the Assembly cabinet unanimously elected Rhodri Morgan as acting First Secretary.[14] He was elected unopposed as First Secretary by the whole Assembly (after being proposed by Andrew Davies) the following week on Tuesday 15 February.[15]

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.[16]

References

  1. ↑ Allen, Briony (19 January 2024). "Welsh Labour leadership: How will Mark Drakeford be replaced as Wales' first minister?". Institute for Government. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  2. ↑ David, Hefin. "We are officially First Minister-less. Diolch yn fawr iawn @AMCarwyn for strong leadership in difficult times". Twitter. Hefin David AM/AC.
  3. ↑ "Plenary (Item 3): Nomination of the First Minister". Senedd Cymru | Welsh Parliament. 12 May 2026. Retrieved 14 May 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ↑ "Agenda for Plenary on Tuesday, 6 August 2024, 11.00". business.senedd.wales. 6 August 2024.
  5. ↑ "Plenary 20/03/2024". record.assembly.wales. 20 March 2024.
  6. ↑ "Agenda for Plenary on Wednesday, 12 May 2021, 15.00". business.senedd.wales. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  7. ↑ "Agenda for Plenary on Wednesday, 12 December 2018, 13.30". senedd.assembly.wales. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  8. ↑ "Agenda for Plenary on Wednesday, 18 May 2016, 13.30". senedd.assembly.wales. 18 May 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  9. ↑ "Agenda for Plenary on Wednesday, 11 May 2016, 13.30". senedd.assembly.wales. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  10. ↑ "Agenda for Plenary - Fourth Assembly on Wednesday, 11 May 2011, 15.00". business.senedd.wales. 1 June 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  11. ↑ "Meeting of Plenary - Third Assembly on Wednesday, 9 December 2009". business.senedd.wales. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  12. ↑ "Meeting of Plenary - Third Assembly on Friday, 25 May 2007". business.senedd.wales. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  13. ↑ "Meeting of Plenary - Second Assembly on Wednesday, 7 May 2003". business.senedd.wales. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  14. ↑ "Meeting of Plenary - First Assembly on Wednesday, 9 February 2000". business.senedd.wales. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  15. ↑ "The National Assembly for Wales (The Official Record)" (PDF). National Assembly for Wales. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  16. ↑ "Meeting of Plenary - First Assembly on Wednesday, 12 May 1999". business.senedd.wales. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.

Notes

  1. ↑ Acting: 9 February 2000 – 15 February 2000
  2. ↑ Later withdrew on 18 May 2016[8]
  • Dates are from various BBC News Online articles from 1999 to 2003.
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