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Secretary of State for Wales

Member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom


Member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom

FieldValue
postUnited Kingdom
Secretary of State for Wales
insigniaCoat of arms of the United Kingdom (2022, lesser arms).svg
insigniacaptionRoyal Arms of His Majesty's Government
departmentOffice of the Secretary of State for Wales
imageFile:Jo Stevens Official Cabinet Portrait, July 2024 (cropped).jpg
incumbentJo Stevens
incumbentsince5 July 2024
style
typeMinister of the Crown
statusSecretary of State
member_of
reports_toThe Prime Minister
seatWestminster
nominatorThe Prime Minister
appointerThe Monarch
appointer_qualified(on the advice of the Prime Minister)
termlengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
formation
salary£159,038 per annum (2022)
(including £86,584 MP salary)
website
firstDavid Maxwell Fyfe (as Minister of Welsh Affairs)

Secretary of State for Wales (including £86,584 MP salary)

The secretary of state for Wales (), 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. Those calling for a Secretary of State for the Union include Robert Hazell, in a department into which Rodney Brazier has suggested adding a Minister of State for England with responsibility for English local government.

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]". 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.

Ministers and secretaries of state

Colour key

Secretary of StateTerm of officePolitical partyCabinetPrime MinisterConservative Party (UK)}}"National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Secretary of StateTerm of officePolitical partyCabinetPrime MinisterLabour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Labour Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"Conservative Party (UK)}}"
[[File:David Maxwell Fyfe, Nuremberg, 1946 (Art. IWM ART LD 5863).jpg60px]]David Maxwell Fyfe
MP for Liverpool West Derby
(also Home Secretary)28 October 195118 October 1954ConservativeChurchill IIIConservative Party (UK)}}"Winston Churchill
[[File:Gwilym Lloyd George cropped.png60px]]Gwilym Lloyd George
MP for Newcastle North
(also Home Secretary)18 October 195413 January 1957Liberal & ConservativeChurchill III
EdenConservative Party (UK)}}"Anthony Eden
[[File:Blank.png60px]]Henry Brooke
MP for Hampstead
(also Min. of Housing & Local Govt.)13 January 19579 October 1961ConservativeMacmillan IConservative Party (UK)}}"Harold Macmillan
Macmillan II
[[File:Blank.png60px]]Charles Hill
MP for Luton
(also Min. of Housing & Local Govt.)9 October 196113 July 1962National Liberal & ConservativeMacmillan II
[[File:Blank.png60px]]Keith Joseph
MP for Leeds North East
(also Min. of Housing & Local Govt.)13 July 196216 October 1964ConservativeMacmillan II
Douglas-HomeConservative Party (UK)}}"Alec Douglas-Home
[[File:Blank.png60px]]Jim Griffiths
MP for Llanelli18 October 19645 April 1966LabourWilson ILabour Party (UK)}}"Harold Wilson
[[File:Blank.png60px]]Cledwyn Hughes
MP for Anglesey5 April 19665 April 1968LabourWilson II
[[File:Blank.png60px]]George Thomas
MP for Cardiff West5 April 196820 June 1970LabourWilson II
[[File:Blank.png60px]]Peter Thomas
MP for Hendon South20 June 19705 March 1974ConservativeHeathConservative Party (UK)}}"Edward Heath
[[File:Official portrait of Lord Morris of Aberavon crop 2.jpg60px]]John Morris
MP for Aberavon5 March 19744 May 1979LabourWilson IIILabour Party (UK)}}"Harold Wilson
CallaghanLabour Party (UK)}}"James Callaghan
[[File:Blank.png60px]]Nicholas Edwards
MP for Pembrokeshire4 May 197913 June 1987ConservativeThatcher IConservative Party (UK)}}"Margaret Thatcher
Thatcher II
[[File:Blank.png60px]]Peter Walker
MP for Worcester13 June 19874 May 1990Thatcher III
[[File:Lord Hunt of Wirral, 2023.jpg60px]]David Hunt
MP for Wirral West4 May 199027 May 1993ConservativeThatcher III
Major IConservative Party (UK)}}"John Major
Major II
[[File:John Redwood official portrait (cropped).jpg78x78px]]John Redwood
MP for Wokingham27 May 19931995 Conservative leadership election]]. During the election, Hunt acted as Secretary of State.ConservativeMajor II
[[File:Lord Hunt of Wirral, 2023.jpg60px]]David Hunt
MP for Wirral West
(acting)26 June 19955 July 1995ConservativeMajor II
[[File:William Hague MP (3156637603) (cropped).jpg80x80px]]William Hague
MP for Richmond (Yorks)5 July 19952 May 1997ConservativeMajor II
[[File:Rondavies1998 (cropped).jpg60px]]Ron Davies
MP for Caerphilly2 May 1997"moment of madness"]] on Clapham Common.LabourBlair ILabour Party (UK)}}"Tony Blair
[[File:Alun Michael election infobox.png60px]]Alun Michael
MP for Cardiff South and Penarth27 October 19981999 Assembly election]], Michael held office as inaugural First Secretary for Wales from 12 May 1999.LabourBlair I
[[File:Eluned Morgan, Paul Murphy and Glenys Kinnock (cropped).jpg80x80px]]Paul Murphy
MP for Torfaen28 July 199924 October 2002LabourBlair I
Blair II
[[File:Peter Hain Ministerial portrait (3x4 crop).jpg80x80px]]Peter Hain
MP for Neath
(also Ldr. of the Commons 2003–05
Northern Ireland Sec. 2005–07
Work & Pensions Sec. 2007–08)24 October 200224 January 2008LabourBlair II
Blair III
BrownLabour Party (UK)}}"Gordon Brown
[[File:Paul Murphy and Huw Irranca-Davies (cropped).jpg79x79px]]Paul Murphy
MP for Torfaen24 January 20085 June 2009LabourBrown
[[File:Peter Hain, September 2009 1 (cropped).jpg79x79px]]Peter Hain
MP for Neath5 June 200911 May 2010LabourBrown
[[File:Cheryl Gllian Official.jpg75x75px]]Cheryl Gillan
MP for Chesham and Amersham11 May 20104 September 2012ConservativeCoalitionConservative Party (UK)}}"David Cameron
[[File:David Jones Official.jpg90x90px]]David Jones
MP for Clwyd West4 September 201214 July 2014ConservativeCoalition
[[File:Stephen Crabb 2015 (cropped).jpg80x80px]]Stephen Crabb
MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire15 July 201419 March 2016ConservativeCoalition
Cameron II
[[File:Alun Cairns 2016.jpg75x75px]]Alun Cairns
MP for Vale of Glamorgan19 March 20166 November 2019ConservativeCameron II
May IConservative Party (UK)}}"Theresa May
May II
Johnson IConservative Party (UK)}}"Boris Johnson
Conservative Party (UK)}}"[[File:Simon Hart Official Cabinet Portrait, September 2021 (cropped).jpg79x79px]]Simon Hart
MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire16 December 20196 July 2022ConservativeJohnson I
Johnson II
Conservative Party (UK)}}"[[File:Robert Buckland KC official portrait (cropped).jpg79x79px]]Robert Buckland
MP for South Swindon7 July 202225 October 2022ConservativeJohnson II
TrussConservative Party (UK)}}"Liz Truss
Conservative Party (UK)}}"[[File:David TC Davies Official Cabinet Portrait, October 2022 (cropped).jpg80x80px]]David TC Davies
MP for Monmouth25 October 20225 July 2024ConservativeSunakConservative Party (UK)}}"Rishi Sunak
Labour Party (UK)}}"[[File:Official portrait of Jo Stevens MP crop 2, 2024.jpg60px]]Jo Stevens
MP for Cardiff East5 July 2024IncumbentLabourStarmerLabour Party (UK)}}"Keir Starmer

Timeline

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal AlignBars = late PlotArea = width:87% left:15 top:10 bottom:80 Legend = columns:1 left:120 top:50 columnwidth:175

Define $today =

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1950 till:31/12/ TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

Colors = id:conservative value:rgb(0,0.53,0.86) legend: Conservative_and_Unionist_Party id:natliberal value:rgb(0,0.83,0.90) legend: National_Liberal_Party id:labour value:rgb(0.86,0.08,0.18) legend: Labour_Party id:libdem value:rgb(0.98,0.651,0.102) legend: Liberal_Democrats id:independent value:rgb(0.6,0.6,0.6) legend: Independent_or_no_party id:liteline value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9) id:line value:rgb(0.8,0.8,0.8)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:10 start:1950 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:liteline unit:year increment:2 start:1950

TextData = pos:(20,55) textcolor:black fontsize:M text:"Political parties:"

BarData = bar:Fyfe bar:Lloyd_George bar:Brooke bar:Hill bar:Joseph bar:Griffiths bar:Hughes bar:GThomas bar:PThomas bar:Morris bar:Edwards bar:Walker bar:Hunt bar:Redwood bar:Hague bar:Davis bar:Michael bar:Murphy bar:Hain bar:Gillan bar:Jones bar:Crabb bar:Cairns bar:Hart bar:Buckland bar:Davies bar:Stevens

PlotData= width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

bar:Fyfe from: 28/10/1951 till: 18/10/1954 color:Conservative text:"David Maxwell Fyfe" bar:Lloyd_George from: 18/10/1954 till: 13/01/1957 color:NatLiberal text:"Gwilym Lloyd George" bar:Brooke from: 13/01/1957 till: 09/10/1961 color:Conservative text:"Henry Brooke" bar:Hill from: 09/10/1961 till: 13/07/1962 color:NatLiberal text:"Charles Hill" bar:Joseph from: 13/07/1962 till: 16/10/1964 color:Conservative text:"Keith Joseph" bar:Griffiths from: 18/10/1964 till: 05/04/1966 color:Labour text:"Jim Griffiths" bar:Hughes from: 05/04/1966 till: 05/04/1968 color:Labour text:"Cledwyn Hughes" bar:GThomas from: 05/04/1968 till: 20/06/1970 color:Labour text:"George Thomas" bar:PThomas from: 20/06/1970 till: 05/03/1974 color:Conservative text:"Peter Thomas" bar:Morris from: 05/03/1974 till: 04/05/1979 color:Labour text:"John Morris" bar:Edwards from: 04/05/1979 till: 13/06/1987 color:Conservative text:"Nicholas Edwards" bar:Walker from: 13/06/1987 till: 04/05/1990 color:Conservative text:"Peter Walker" bar:Hunt from: 04/05/1990 till: 27/05/1993 color:Conservative from: 26/06/1995 till: 05/07/1995 color:Conservative text:"David Hunt" bar:Redwood from: 27/05/1993 till: 26/06/1995 color:Conservative text:"John Redwood" bar:Hague from: 05/07/1995 till: 02/05/1997 color:Conservative text:"William Hague" bar:Davis from: 02/05/1997 till: 27/10/1998 color:Labour text:"Ron Davies" bar:Michael from: 27/10/1998 till: 28/07/1999 color:Labour text:"Alun Michael" bar:Murphy from: 28/07/1999 till: 24/10/2002 color:Labour from: 24/01/2008 till: 05/06/2009 color:Labour text:"Paul Murphy" bar:Hain from: 24/10/2002 till: 24/01/2008 color:Labour from: 05/06/2009 till: 11/05/2010 color:Labour text:"Peter Hain" bar:Gillan from: 11/10/2010 till: 04/09/2012 color:Conservative text:"Cheryl Gillan" bar:Jones from: 04/09/2012 till: 14/07/2014 color:Conservative text:"David Jones" bar:Crabb from: 15/07/2014 till: 19/03/2016 color:Conservative text:"Stephen Crabb" bar:Cairns from: 19/03/2016 till: 06/11/2019 color:Conservative text:"Alun Cairns" bar:Hart from: 16/12/2019 till: 06/07/2022 color:Conservative text:"Simon Hart" bar:Buckland from: 07/07/2022 till: 25/10/2022 color:Conservative text:"Robert Buckland" bar:Davies from: 25/10/2022 till: 05/07/2024 color:Conservative text:"David TC Davies" bar:Stevens from: 05/07/2024 till: $today color:Labour text:"Jo Stevens"

Note

References

References

  1. (15 December 2022). "Salaries of Members of His Majesty's Government – Financial Year 2022–23".
  2. "Pay and expenses for MPs".
  3. (19 March 2001). "'Scrap Welsh secretary' demand". BBC News.
  4. (12 June 2003). "Wales Office in melting pot". BBC News.
  5. (2020-07-30). "Times letters: Mark Sedwill's call for a cull of the cabinet". [[The Times]].
  6. (2020-09-07). "Rodney Brazier: Why is Her Majesty's Government so big?".
  7. Price, Emily. (2024-06-25). "Plaid Cymru calls for next UK Govt to axe Secretary of State for Wales role".
  8. Price, Emily. (2024-06-27). "Andrew RT Davies votes to abolish Secretary of State role".
  9. (16 December 2019). "Cabinet reshuffle: Simon Hart appointed new Welsh secretary". BBC News.
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