The Eluned Morgan government was the government of Wales formed by Eluned Morgan from August 2024, following her appointment as First Minister of Wales on 6 August. Morgan first formed an interim government largely continuing the previous Gething government, then announced a fuller reshuffle in September 2024.
In her interim cabinet she maintained many of the roles and roleholders from the previous Gething government. With the few changes being that she appointed former First Minister Mark Drakeford as her successor to her former role as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, a role he himself held between 2013 and 2016, and designated Elisabeth Jones as Counsel General-designate.
On 11 September 2024, Morgan announced her cabinet reshuffle. Jeremy Miles and Julie James returned to cabinet following their resignations under Gething, and as health cabinet secretary and Counsel General-designate respectively, with the latter replacing Jones. While Vikki Howells was given a junior role for the first time. All the other members of the cabinet had their roles amended or switched but remained in government, with Huw Irranca-Davies and Lynne Neagle retaining their former roles entirely.
In addition to her cabinet appointments, Morgan also appointed former MP Kevin Brennan as her chief special adviser in August. Brennan stepped down to join the House of Lords, and was replaced by Wayne David. David was then replaced by Citizens Advice Head of Policy, and former Welsh Labour Head of Communications, Luke Young as her new Chief Special Adviser.
History Eluned Morgan was nominated and appointed to succeed Vaughan Gething as first minister of Wales on 6 August 2024. Later that day, she announced the appointment of Huw Irranca-Davies as her deputy first minister. This was the first time a deputy first minister had been appointed to the Welsh Government since Ieuan Wyn Jones in 2007.
Morgan announced the rest of her cabinet on 7 August. Her first cabinet was appointed to serve on an interim basis, with most members of her government retaining the same posts they had in the previous Gething government. Changes included the appointment of former first minister Mark Drakeford as the interim cabinet secretary for health and social care, succeeding Morgan as the previous officeholder, as well as Elisabeth Jones as the counsel general-designate to act as the counsel general for Wales for an interim period. Morgan retained her previous responsibility for the Welsh language. The cabinet will remain in place for an interim period until September 2024, when a full cabinet reshuffle "following a listening exercise over the summer with the Welsh public" is planned.
In addition to her cabinet, Morgan also appointed former MP Kevin Brennan, who had served as former first minister Rhodri Morgan's chief of staff, as her chief special adviser.
September reshuffle
On 11 September 2024, Morgan reshuffled her cabinet. She appointed Jeremy Miles as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, and Mark Drakeford as Cabinet Secretary for Finance, while Ken Skates lost his role as Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, while retaining his roles as Cabinet Secretary for Transport and Minister for North Wales. She designated Julie James as Counsel General, alongside appointing her Minister for Delivery. She also appointed Vikki Howells as Minister for Further and Higher Education, and added Culture and Skills to Jack Sargeant's portfolios, alongside Social Partnership. Julie James was formally appointed as Counsel General by approval of the Senedd on 17 September 2024.
Alongside these changes, a number of ministers were retained in their prior positions.
In December 2024, Morgan announced that her chief special adviser Kevin Brennan would resign from the government in the new year after he was nominated for a peerage by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Former MP and MEP Wayne David was announced as his successor.
Budgets After the collapse of the co-operation agreement between Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru in May 2024 budgets agreements had to be made on every occasion. The first budget in 2025 by the Morgan government was made with the single Welsh Liberal Democrat MS, Jane Dodds. This included extra funding for childcare, councils and transport. Also included was a commitment to ban greyhound racing.
After the Caerphilly by-election in October 2025 the government lost its majority. This led to agreement discussions between Welsh Labour and with Jane Dodds, Conservatives and independent MS Russell George. In the end Plaid Cymru agreed to a deal and abstained in the budget vote to allow it to pass. For this concession Plaid and Labour agreed to extra funding for health, infrastructure and councils.
Cabinets
August–September 2024
Cabinet Secretaries PortfolioNameConstituencyPartyTermFirst Minister of WalesThe Baroness Morgan of Ely MSMid & West WalesLabourAugust 2024 – 2026Deputy First Minister of WalesCabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural AffairsHuw Irranca-Davies MSOgmoreLabourAugust 2024 – 2026Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Cabinet OfficeRebecca Evans MSGowerLabour2018 - September 2024Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government, and PlanningJayne Bryant MSNewport WestLabourAugust 2024 – 2026 Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social CareMark Drakeford MSCardiff WestLabourAugust 2024 - September 2024Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Transport and North WalesKen Skates MSClwyd SouthLabour2024 – 2026 Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Social Justice, Trefnydd (House Leader) and Chief WhipJane Hutt MSVale of GlamorganLabour2024 – 2026Cabinet Secretary for EducationLynne Neagle MSTorfaenLabour2024 – 2026
Ministers PortfolioNameConstituencyPartyTermMinister for Mental Health and Early YearsSarah Murphy MSBridgendLabour2024 – 2026Minister for Social CareDawn Bowden MSMerthyr Tydfil and RhymneyLabour2024 – 2026Minister for Social PartnershipJack Sargeant MSAlyn and DeesideLabour2024 – 2026Counsel General DesignateElisabeth JonesN/AN/AAugust 2024 – September 2024
Other appointments Kevin Brennan – chief special adviser to the First Minister
September 2024 – May 2026 On 11 September 2024, Morgan announced changes to her cabinet and the new cabinet is as follows:
Cabinet Secretaries PortfolioNameConstituencyPartyTermFirst Minister of WalesThe Baroness Morgan of Ely MSMid & West WalesLabourAugust 2024 – 2026Deputy First Minister of Wales Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural AffairsHuw Irranca-Davies MSOgmoreLabourAugust 2024 – 2026Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh LanguageMark Drakeford MSCardiff WestLabourSeptember 2024 – 2026Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and PlanningRebecca Evans MSGowerLabourSeptember 2024 – 2026Cabinet Secretary for Housing, and Local GovernmentJayne Bryant MSNewport WestLabourSeptember 2024 – 2026Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social CareJeremy Miles MSNeathLabourSeptember 2024 – 2026Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North WalesKen Skates MSClwyd SouthLabourSeptember 2024 – 2026Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd (House Leader) and Chief WhipJane Hutt MSVale of GlamorganLabourSeptember 2024 – 2026Cabinet Secretary for EducationLynne Neagle MSTorfaenLabour2024 – 2026
Ministers PortfolioNameConstituencyPartyTermMinister for Mental Health and WellbeingSarah Murphy MSBridgendLabourSeptember 2024 – 2026Minister for Children and Social CareDawn Bowden MSMerthyr Tydfil and RhymneyLabourSeptember 2024 – 2026Minister for Culture, Skills and Social PartnershipJack Sargeant MSAlyn and DeesideLabourSeptember 2024 – 2026Minister for Further and Higher EducationVikki Howells MSCynon ValleyLabourSeptember 2024 – 2026Counsel General and Minister for DeliveryJulie JamesSwansea WestLabourSeptember 2024 – 2026
See also
Shadow Cabinet of Wales Members of the 6th Senedd
References