Secretary of State for Wales

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The Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the United Kingdom cabinet. He is responsible for ensuring Welsh interests are taken into account by the government, representing the government within Wales and overseeing the passing of legislation which is only for Wales. Since 2002, the Secretary of State for Wales has been Peter Hain.

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In the first half of the Twentieth 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 and once they came to power in 1964 this could be put into effect.

The post of Secretary of State for Wales came into existence on the 17 October, 1964, the first incumbent being Jim Griffiths, MP for Llanelli. The position entailed responsibility for Wales and expenditure on certain public services was delegated from Westminster. In April of 1965 administration of Welsh affairs, which had previously been divided between a number of government departments were united in a newly created Welsh Office with the Secretary of State for Wales at its head. As a result the Welsh Secretary came to have responsibility for education and training, health, trade and industry, environment, transport and agriculture within Wales.

During the 1980s and 1990s, as the number of Conservative MPs for Welsh constituencies dwindled almost to nothing, the office fell into disrepute. Nicholas Edwards, MP for Pembrokeshire, held the post for some years, but was constantly mocked for his upper-class appearance and accent. 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 to the government when he publicly demonstrated an inability to sing (or even successfully mime) "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau," the Welsh national anthem.

The introduction of the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government following 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 due to the lesser powers of the role since devolution.[1] [2]

Name Entered office Left office Political party Notes
James Griffiths 18 October 1964 5 April 1966 Labour First Secretary of State for Wales
Cledwyn Hughes 5 April 1966 5 April 1968 Labour
George Thomas 5 April 1968 20 June 1970 Labour
Peter Thomas 20 June 1970 5 March 1974 Conservative
John Morris 5 March 1974 5 May 1979 Labour
Nicholas Edwards 5 May 1979 13 June 1987 Conservative
Peter Walker 13 June 1987 4 May 1990 Conservative
David Hunt 4 May 1990 27 May 1993 Conservative
John Redwood 27 May 1993 26 June 1995 Conservative Resigned to stand for the leadership of the Conservative party.
David Hunt 26 June 1995 5 July 1995 Conservative Acting Secretary of State during the 1995 Conservative leadership contest
William Hague 5 July 1995 3 May 1997 Conservative
Ron Davies 3 May 1997 27 October 1998 Labour
Alun Michael 27 October 1998 28 July 1999 Labour
Paul Murphy 28 July 1999 24 October 2002 Labour
Peter Hain 24 October 2002 Labour Also:
Leader of the House of Commons, 2003-2005
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, 2005-2007
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, 2007-present

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_State_for_Wales"
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