Welsh Labour politician, MS for Cynon Valley
| Vikki HowellsMS | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Minister for Further and Higher Education | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 11 September 2024 | |
| First Minister | Eluned Morgan |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Member of the Senedd for Cynon Valley | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Christine Chapman |
| Majority | 7,468 (36.4%) |
| Personal details | |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom |
| Nationality | Welsh |
| Political party | Welsh Labour |
| Education | St John the Baptist School, Aberdare |
| Alma mater | University of Wales, Cardiff |
Vikki Howells is a Welsh Labour and Co-operative politician serving as Minister for Further and Higher Education since September 2024. Since May 2016, she has also been the Member of the Senedd for Cynon Valley. Howells is a former teacher.
Background and personal life
Howells was brought up in Cwmbach, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. She was educated at St John the Baptist School, a Church in Wales secondary school in Aberdare. She studied International and Welsh history at the University of Wales, Cardiff, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She remained at Cardiff to undertake postgraduate study in Modern Welsh History, and graduated with a Master of Arts degree.
Her partner is Hefin David, MS for the neighbouring Caerphilly constituency.
Career
Teaching career
Before her election to the Senedd, Howells was a history teacher and the assistant head of sixth form at St Cenydd Comprehensive School in Caerphilly, South Wales.
Political career
Howells has been a Member of the Labour Party since she was 17. In December 2015, it was announced that Howells had been selected as the Welsh Labour candidate for the Cynon Valley constituency of the Senedd. On 5 May 2016, she was elected as a Member of the Welsh Assembly, she received 9,830 votes (51.1% of the votes cast, and a majority of 5,994).
She was re-elected as a Labour and Co-operative Party candidate at the 2021 Senedd election with an increased majority of 7,468 votes.
Howells supported Vaughan Gething in the 2018 and February–March 2024 Welsh Labour leadership elections.
Howells chaired the Welsh Labour Group of MSs from 2017 to 2024. She is also president of the mental health charity Friends R Us and vice-president of Cwmbach Male Voice Choir. Vikki is also a member of the Cynon Valley History Society, the social justice thinktank the Bevan Foundation, the Co-operative Party, the GMB and USDAW.
Howells chaired the Senedd Standards of Conduct Committee between 2021 and 2024.
She was appointed as Minister for Further and Higher Education under First Minister Eluned Morgan in September 2024.
References
- ^ Tegeltija, Sam (6 May 2016). "Assembly Election 2016: Labour holds Cynon as Vikki Howells succeeds Christine Chapman". Wales Online. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
- ^ "Vikki Howells MS". senedd.wales. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ "Register of interests for Vikki Howells MS - Sixth Senedd". business.senedd.wales. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- Tegeltija, Sam (8 December 2015). "Teacher Vikki Howells announced as Labour's Cynon Valley candidate for National Assembly election". Walses Online. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
- "Annual Review 2021" (PDF). Co-operative Party. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- "Election results for Cynon Valley, 6 May 2021". business.senedd.wales. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- "Labour AMs back Vaughan Gething for Welsh Labour leadership in open letter". ITV Wales. 25 May 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- "Vaughan Gething announces Welsh first minister bid". BBC News. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ "About Vikki". Vikki Howells MS. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023.
- "Standards of Conduct Committee". senedd.wales. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- "Welsh government reshuffle: Miles back as minister after ousting Gething". BBC News. 11 September 2024. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
| Current members of the Senedd | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Senedd | |||||
| Labour (30) | |||||
| Conservatives (16) |
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| Plaid Cymru (12) |
| ||||
| Liberal Democrats (1) |
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| Independent (1) |
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| Senedd | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byChristine Chapman | Member of the Senedd for Cynon Valley 2016 to present |
Incumbent |