Vaughan Gething announces Welsh government cabinet – including top job for leadership rival

Published

1 year ago

March 21, 2024

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Wales’s new first minister Vaughan Gething has announced his cabinet, including a top job for his former leadership rival.

Mr Gething was confirmed as Wales‘s first minister on Wednesday after Mark Drakeford officially stepped aside.

His leadership rival, former education minister Jeremy Miles, will now serve as cabinet secretary for the economy, energy and Welsh language.

The only other figures to leave the government, other than Mr Drakeford, are former deputy minister for social services Julie Morgan and former deputy climate change minister Lee Waters.

As well as quitting his government job, Mr Waters has deleted his X account after receiving abuse over the rollout of the default 20mph speed limit in Wales.

‘All parts of Wales’

Ken Skates returns to cabinet for the first time since 2021 as cabinet secretary for North Wales and transport.

Lynne Neagle, who has been a member of the Senedd since it first sat in 1999, has been appointed Wales’s new education secretary.

While Huw Irranca Davies takes on the role of cabinet secretary for climate change and rural affairs, returning to cabinet for the first time in six years.

He takes on the role after thousands of farmers recently descended on the Senedd to protest against a new subsidy scheme, which will require farms to meet a series of environmental obligations in return for government funding.

Former rural affairs minister Lesley Griffiths has been announced as the new culture and social justice cabinet secretary.

Mick Antoniw remains as counsel general, the government’s top legal job, while Eluned Morgan, Rebecca Evans and Julie James keep the health, finance and housing briefs respectively.

Another member of the inaugural Senedd, Jane Hutt remains chief whip and also becomes the Trefnydd – a similar role to the leader of the House of Commons.

“I’m incredibly proud to bring together a government drawn from all parts of Wales to serve the whole of our nation, with progressive politics at its heart,” Mr Gething said.

“While there will be many challenges ahead, there are even greater opportunities. I am ambitious about the work this team will do to make Wales an even better place.”

Hannah Blythyn and Dawn Bowden also stay on in cabinet, with Ms Blythyn remaining as minister for social partnership and Ms Bowden getting a new role as minister for social care.

Jayne Bryant joins the cabinet for the first time as minister for mental health and early years.

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Heidi Alexander says ‘fairness’ will be government’s ‘guiding principle’ when it comes to taxes at next budget

Published

7 hours ago

July 13, 2025

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Heidi Alexander says 'fairness' will be government's 'guiding principle' when it comes to taxes at next budget

Another hint that tax rises are coming in this autumn’s budget has been given by a senior minister.

Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was asked if Sir Keir Starmer and the rest of the cabinet had discussed hiking taxes in the wake of the government’s failed welfare reforms, which were shot down by their own MPs.

Trevor Phillips asked specifically if tax rises were discussed among the cabinet last week – including on an away day on Friday.

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Tax increases were not discussed “directly”, Ms Alexander said, but ministers were “cognisant” of the challenges facing them.

Asked what this means, Ms Alexander added: “I think your viewers would be surprised if we didn’t recognise that at the budget, the chancellor will need to look at the OBR forecast that is given to her and will make decisions in line with the fiscal rules that she has set out.

“We made a commitment in our manifesto not to be putting up taxes on people on modest incomes, working people. We have stuck to that.”

Ms Alexander said she wouldn’t comment directly on taxes and the budget at this point, adding: “So, the chancellor will set her budget. I’m not going to sit in a TV studio today and speculate on what the contents of that budget might be.

“When it comes to taxation, fairness is going to be our guiding principle.”

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Afterwards, shadow home secretary Chris Philp told Phillips: “That sounds to me like a barely disguised reference to tax rises coming in the autumn.”

He then went on to repeat the Conservative attack lines that Labour are “crashing the economy”.

Mr Philp then attacked the prime minister as “weak” for being unable to get his welfare reforms through the Commons.

Discussions about potential tax rises have come to the fore after the government had to gut its welfare reforms.

Sir Keir had wanted to change Personal Independence Payments (PIP), but a large Labour rebellion forced him to axe the changes.

With the savings from these proposed changes – around £5bn – already worked into the government’s sums, they will now need to find the money somewhere else.

The general belief is that this will take the form of tax rises, rather than spending cuts, with more money needed for military spending commitments, as well as other areas of priority for the government, such as the NHS.