Secretary of State for Wales
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:More citations needed Template:Infobox Political post Template:Politics of Wales
The secretary of state for Wales (Template:Langx), also referred to as the Welsh secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Wales Office. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom.
The officeholder works alongside the other Wales Office ministers. The corresponding shadow minister is the shadow secretary of state for Wales. The position is currently held by Jo Stevens having been appointed by Keir Starmer in July 2024.
Creation
In the first half of the 20th century, a number of politicians had supported the creation of the post of Secretary of State for Wales as a step towards home rule for Wales. A post of Minister of Welsh Affairs was created in 1951 under the home secretary and was upgraded to minister of state level in 1954.
The Labour Party proposed the creation of a Welsh Office run by a Secretary of State for Wales in their manifesto for the 1959 general election. When they came to power in 1964 this was soon put into effect.
The post of Secretary of State for Wales came into existence on 17 October 1964; the first incumbent was Jim Griffiths, MP for Llanelli. The position entailed responsibility for Wales, and expenditure on certain public services was delegated from Westminster. In April 1965 administration of Welsh affairs, which had previously been divided between a number of government departments, was united in a newly created Welsh Office with the secretary of state for Wales at its head, and the Welsh secretary became responsible for education and training, health, trade and industry, environment, transport and agriculture within Wales.
History
During the 1980s and 1990s, as the number of Conservative MPs for Welsh constituencies dwindled almost to zero, the office fell into disrepute. Nicholas Edwards, MP for Pembrokeshire, held the post for eight years. On his departure, the government ceased to look within Wales for the secretary of state, and the post was increasingly used as a way of getting junior high-fliers into the Cabinet. John Redwood in particular caused embarrassment when he publicly demonstrated his inability to sing "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau", the Welsh national anthem, at a conference.
The introduction of the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Government, after the devolution referendum of 1997, was the beginning of a new era. On 1 July 1999 the majority of the functions of the Welsh Office transferred to the new assembly. The Welsh Office was disbanded, but the post of Secretary of State for Wales was retained, as the head of the newly created Wales Office.
Since 1999 there have been calls for the office of Welsh secretary to be scrapped or merged with the posts of Secretary of State for Scotland and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, to reflect the lesser powers of the role since devolution.[1][2] Those calling for a Secretary of State for the Union include Robert Hazell,[3] in a department into which Rodney Brazier has suggested adding a Minister of State for England with responsibility for English local government.[4]
In June 2024, Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party, called for the position's abolishment describing it as "outdated", that it "entrench[es]" a power imbalance, and its powers should be devolved. The party's representatives accused the shadow Labour holder, Jo Stevens, of having a "contemptuous attitude towards devolution" based on Stevens' comments relating to High Speed 2 and justice and policing. The Conservative incumbent David TC Davies expressed his surprise, stating that the "so-called 'party of Wales' is now wanting to silence Wales' voice [in the cabinet]".[5] In Plaid Cymru's motion on 26 June, calling for the post's abolishment, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, supported the motion after being confused it was a Tory amendment being voted on.[6]
Ministers and secretaries of state
Colour key
Template:Legend2
Template:Legend2
Template:Legend2
Ministers of Welsh Affairs (1951–1964) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secretary of State | Term of office | Political party | Cabinet | Prime Minister | |||||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:David Maxwell Fyfe, Nuremberg, 1946 (Art. IWM ART LD 5863).jpg | David Maxwell Fyfe MP for Liverpool West DerbyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (also Home Secretary)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
28 October 1951 | 18 October 1954 | Conservative | Churchill III | rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Winston Churchill | |
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Gwilym Lloyd George cropped.png | Gwilym Lloyd George MP for Newcastle NorthScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (also Home Secretary)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
18 October 1954 | 13 January 1957 | Liberal & Conservative | Churchill III | |||
| Eden | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Anthony Eden | |||||||
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Blank.png | Henry Brooke MP for HampsteadScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (also Min. of Housing & Local Govt.)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
13 January 1957 | 9 October 1961 | Conservative | Macmillan I | rowspan=4 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Harold Macmillan | |
| Macmillan II | |||||||||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Blank.png | Charles Hill MP for LutonScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (also Min. of Housing & Local Govt.)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
9 October 1961 | 13 July 1962 | National Liberal & Conservative | Macmillan II | |||
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Blank.png | Keith Joseph MP for Leeds North EastScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (also Min. of Housing & Local Govt.)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
13 July 1962 | 16 October 1964 | Conservative | Macmillan II | |||
| Douglas-Home | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Alec Douglas-Home | |||||||
Secretaries of State for Wales (1964–present) | |||||||||
| Secretary of State | Term of office | Political party | Cabinet | Prime Minister | |||||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Blank.png | Jim Griffiths MP for LlanelliScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
18 October 1964 | 5 April 1966 | Labour | Wilson I | rowspan=3 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Harold Wilson | |
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Blank.png | Cledwyn Hughes MP for AngleseyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
5 April 1966 | 5 April 1968 | Labour | Wilson II | |||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Blank.png | George Thomas MP for Cardiff WestScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
5 April 1968 | 20 June 1970 | Labour | Wilson II | |||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Blank.png | Peter Thomas MP for Hendon SouthScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
20 June 1970 | 5 March 1974 | Conservative | Heath | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Edward Heath | |
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Official portrait of Lord Morris of Aberavon crop 2.jpg | John Morris MP for AberavonScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
5 March 1974 | 4 May 1979 | Labour | Wilson III | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Harold Wilson | |
| Callaghan | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | James Callaghan | |||||||
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Blank.png | Nicholas Edwards MP for PembrokeshireScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
4 May 1979 | 13 June 1987 | Conservative | Thatcher I | rowspan=4 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Margaret Thatcher | |
| Thatcher II | |||||||||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Blank.png | Peter Walker MP for WorcesterScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
13 June 1987 | 4 May 1990 | Thatcher III | ||||
| rowspan=3 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Lord Hunt of Wirral, 2023.jpg | David Hunt MP for Wirral WestScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
4 May 1990 | 27 May 1993 | Conservative | Thatcher III | |||
| Major I | rowspan=5 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | John Major | |||||||
| Major II | |||||||||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Official portrait of Rt Hon John Redwood MP crop 2.jpg | John Redwood MP for WokinghamScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
27 May 1993 | 26 June 1995[fn 1] | Conservative | Major II | |||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Lord Hunt of Wirral, 2023.jpg | David Hunt MP for Wirral WestScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (acting)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
26 June 1995 | 5 July 1995 | Conservative | Major II | |||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:William Hague 2010 cropped.jpg | William Hague MP for Richmond (Yorks)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
5 July 1995 | 2 May 1997 | Conservative | Major II | |||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Rondavies1998 (cropped).jpg | Ron Davies MP for CaerphillyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
2 May 1997 | 27 October 1998[fn 2] | Labour | Blair I | rowspan=6 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Tony Blair | |
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Alun Michael election infobox.png | Alun Michael MP for Cardiff South and PenarthScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
27 October 1998 | 28 July 1999[fn 3] | Labour | Blair I | |||
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Official portrait of Lord Murphy of Torfaen 2020 crop 2.jpg | Paul Murphy MP for TorfaenScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
28 July 1999 | 24 October 2002 | Labour | Blair I | |||
| Blair II | |||||||||
| rowspan=3 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Official portrait of Lord Hain crop 2, 2019.jpg | Peter Hain MP for NeathScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". (also Ldr. of the Commons 2003–05 Northern Ireland Sec. 2005–07 Work & Pensions Sec. 2007–08)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
24 October 2002 | 24 January 2008 | Labour | Blair II | |||
| Blair III | |||||||||
| Brown | rowspan=3 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Gordon Brown | |||||||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Official portrait of Lord Murphy of Torfaen 2020 crop 2.jpg | Paul Murphy MP for TorfaenScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
24 January 2008 | 5 June 2009 | Labour | Brown | |||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Official portrait of Lord Hain crop 2, 2019.jpg | Peter Hain MP for NeathScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
5 June 2009 | 11 May 2010 | Labour | Brown | |||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Official portrait of Rt Hon Dame Cheryl Gillan MP crop 2.jpg | Cheryl Gillan MP for Chesham and AmershamScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
11 May 2010 | 4 September 2012 | Conservative | Coalition | rowspan=5 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | David Cameron | |
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Official portrait of Rt Hon David Jones MP crop 2.jpg | David Jones MP for Clwyd WestScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
4 September 2012 | 14 July 2014 | Conservative | Coalition | |||
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Official portrait of Rt Hon Stephen Crabb MP crop 2.jpg | Stephen Crabb MP for Preseli PembrokeshireScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
15 July 2014 | 19 March 2016 | Conservative | Coalition | |||
| Cameron II | |||||||||
| rowspan=4 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Official portrait of Rt Hon Alun Cairns MP crop 2.jpg | Alun Cairns MP for Vale of GlamorganScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
19 March 2016 | 6 November 2019 | Conservative | Cameron II | |||
| May I | rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Theresa May | |||||||
| May II | |||||||||
| Johnson I | rowspan=4 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Boris Johnson | |||||||
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Official portrait of Simon Hart crop 2.jpg | Simon Hart MP for Carmarthen West and South PembrokeshireScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
16 December 2019[7] | 6 July 2022 | Conservative | Johnson I | |||
| Johnson II | |||||||||
| rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Official portrait of Rt Hon Robert Buckland MP crop 2.jpg | Robert Buckland MP for South SwindonScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
7 July 2022 | 25 October 2022 | Conservative | Johnson II | |||
| Truss | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Liz Truss | |||||||
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Official portrait of David T C Davies MP crop 2.jpg | David TC Davies MP for Monmouth Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
25 October 2022 | 5 July 2024 | Conservative | Sunak | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Rishi Sunak | |
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | File:Official portrait of Jo Stevens MP crop 2, 2024.jpg | Jo Stevens MP for Cardiff EastScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". |
5 July 2024 | Incumbent | Labour | Starmer | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | Keir Starmer | |
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Timeline
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Note
See also
References
External links
- Labour Party in Wales – covers the history of the post
- Hain promoted in Brown's cabinet, BBC News Online, 28 June 2007
- Hain takes work and pensions job, BBC News Online, 28 June 2007
Template:Secretaries of State for Wales Template:Wales Office Template:Cabinet positions in the United KingdomTemplate:Welsh devolution
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