Lesley Griffiths
| Lesley Griffiths AM | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Welsh Assembly for Wrexham | |
|
Assumed office 3 May 2007 | |
| Preceded by | John Marek |
| Majority | 3,337 (17.9%) |
| Minister for Health and Social Services | |
|
In office 13 May 2011 – 14 May 2013 | |
| First Minister | Carwyn Jones |
| Preceded by | Edwina Hart |
| Succeeded by | Mark Drakeford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1960 (age 55–56) |
| Political party | Welsh Labour |
| Occupation | Political Advisor |
| Website | Welsh Labour |
Susan Lesley Griffiths AM (known as Lesley Griffiths, born 1960) is a Welsh Labour[1] politician. She worked as a secretary to John Marek and the constituency assistant to Ian Lucas, successive Members of Parliament for Wrexham, and was elected to the National Assembly for Wales from the Wrexham constituency in 2007. In 2011, she was appointed Minister for Health and Social Services.[2] a post she held until March 2012. She is currently Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty.[3]
2003 campaign
After a Labour Party inquiry, where Marek was first contacted by telephone half an hour before the result was announced, the non-selection was upheld, and Marek decided to fight to retain his seat as an Independent.[4] Griffiths faced an uphill battle during the campaign; an early poll showed Marek beating her by 40% to 29%.[5] On polling day, Griffiths had closed the gap but was beaten by 973 votes.
Subsequent elections
Having been a supporter of Wrexham Football Club, Griffiths was elected to the board of the Wrexham Supporters Trust. In December 2005 she was selected again as Labour candidate for the Wrexham constituency for the 2007 Assembly elections. She benefited from high-profile support as the party saw an opportunity to recapture the seat; John Marek appealed to the large Polish immigrant population by translating his election material into Polish.[6] However, Griffiths increased her numerical vote while Marek's vote fell, and she won the seat by 1,250.
In 2011, Griffiths faced Marek for a third time, though by now Marek had joined the Conservatives. Both of them saw increases in their votes compared to 2007, but Griffiths held the seat with an increased majority of 3,337.[7] Griffiths has been re-selected to defend her seat at the 2016 election.[8]
Ministerial responsibility
Griffiths was appointed Deputy Minister for Science, Innovation and Skills in December 2009.[9] After the 2011 election, she was promoted to the Minister for Health and Social Services, a post she held until March 2013 when she was appointed Minister for Local Government and Government Business
References
- ↑ http://www.senedd.assemblywales.org/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=154
- ↑ http://wales.gov.uk/newsroom/firstminister/2011/cabinet/?lang=en
- ↑ http://wales.gov.uk/about/cabinet/cabinetm/lesleygriffiths?lang=en
- ↑ Martin Shipton, "Marek likely to stand as independent", Western Mail, 12 March 2003.
- ↑ Kirsty Buchanan, "Marek beating Labour", Western Mail, 11 April 2003.
- ↑ Allegra Stratton, "'Glosuj na mnie!'", New Statesman, 30 April 2007.
- ↑ "BBC News - Election 2011". BBC News. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ↑ "Starting Gun Fired For Wrexham’s National Assembly For Wales Election 2016". wrexham.com. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ↑ "Welsh Assembly Government:Lesley Griffiths AM". Welsh Assembly Government website. Welsh Assembly Government. 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
External links
Offices held
| National Assembly for Wales | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Marek |
Assembly Member for Wrexham 2007–present |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by John Griffiths |
Deputy Minister for Science, Innovation and Skills 2009–2011 |
Succeeded by Jeff Cuthbert |
| Preceded by Edwina Hart |
Minister for Health and Social Services 2011–2013 |
Succeeded by Mark Drakeford |
| Preceded by new post |
Minister for Communities 2013–present |
Incumbent |
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