Eluned Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Ely

Mair Eluned Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Ely (born 16 February 1967) is a Welsh Labour politician serving as Minister for Health and Social Services in the Welsh Government since 2021.[1] Morgan has served as a Member of the House of Lords since 2011 and as a Member of the Senedd (MS) since 2016. She was previously Minister for the Welsh Language from 2017 to 2021, Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing from 2020 to 2021, and a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1994 to 2009.

The Right Honourable
The Baroness Morgan of Ely
MS
Official portrait, 2016
Minister for Health and Social Services
Assumed office
13 May 2021
First MinisterMark Drakeford
Preceded byVaughan Gething
Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing
In office
8 October 2020 – 13 May 2021
First MinisterMark Drakeford
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byLynne Neagle
Minister for the Welsh Language[lower-alpha 1]
In office
3 November 2017 – 13 May 2021
First Minister
Preceded byAlun Davies
Succeeded byJeremy Miles
Member of the Senedd
for Mid and West Wales
Assumed office
5 May 2016
Preceded byRebecca Evans
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Assumed office
26 January 2011
Life Peerage
European Parliamentary Representation
Member of the European Parliament
for Wales
In office
10 June 1999 – 4 June 2009
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byJohn Bufton
Member of the European Parliament
for Mid and West Wales
In office
9 June 1994 – 10 June 1999
Preceded byDavid Morris
Succeeded bySeat abolished
Personal details
Born16 February 1967 (1967-02-16) (age 56)
Cardiff, Wales
Political partyLabour
Websitewww.elunedmorgan.wales

From 2013–2016, Morgan served as the Shadow Minister for Wales in the House of Lords, and from 2014 to 2016 she served as Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and also as a whip.[2] She was granted a peerage in 2011 and is formally known as Baroness Morgan of Ely. She was responsible for leading for Labour in the House of Lords on the EU Referendum Bill and led for Labour on two Wales Bills.[3]

Morgan is a former Member of the European Parliament who represented Wales for the Labour Party from 1994 to 2009. In this role she became the Labour spokesperson on industry, science and energy and spokesperson for the 200 strong Socialist Group on Budget Control matters. She authored the Green Paper on energy on behalf of the Parliament and led its discussions on the Electricity Directive where she ensured new rights for consumers and demanded that Member States of the EU addressed the issue of fuel poverty.[4]

From late 2009 until July 2013, Morgan worked as the Director of National Business Development in Wales for SSE (SWALEC) one of the UK's largest energy companies. She was responsible for the establishment of the SWALEC Smart Energy Centre in Treforest.[5] She was also appointed as the Chair of the Cardiff Business Partnership.[6]

Morgan's political career started at the age of 27 when she was elected as the youngest Member of the European Parliament in 1994.[7] She was only the fifth woman elected to a full-time political position in the history of Wales, and the first full-time politician in Wales to have a baby whilst in office.[8] Initially, she represented the constituency of Mid and West Wales, and was subsequently re-elected in 1999 and 2004 under the new proportional representation system representing the whole of Wales.[9]

Biography

Eluned Morgan was born and brought up in Ely, Cardiff, the daughter of Revd Canon Bob Morgan and Elaine Morgan. [10][3] Educated at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf, she won a scholarship to the United World College of the Atlantic and gained a degree in European Studies from the University of Hull.[11] Morgan formerly worked as a researcher for S4C, Agenda TV and the BBC.

European Parliament

In 1990, she worked as a stagiaire in the European Parliament for the Socialist Group.

In 1994, Morgan was elected as a Member of the European Parliament representing Mid and West Wales. At the time she was the youngest MEP when she took up her seat.[12] She continued as an MEP representing the Wales being elected at both the 1999 and 2004 elections.

Eluned Morgan served as the budget control spokesperson for the 180 strong Socialist Group. She was also the Labour Party's European spokesperson on Energy, Industry and Science.[13] She was responsible for drafting the European Parliament's response to the Energy Green Paper and also took the lead role in negotiating on behalf of the Parliament the revision of the Electricity Directive.

In 2007, she nominated Peter Hain as a candidate for Deputy Leader of the UK Labour Party.

She stood down at the 2009 European Parliament elections.

After European Parliament

On leaving the Parliament she worked as the Director of National Development for SSE in Wales (SWALEC) from 2009 to June 2013 where she was responsible for establishing the new SWALEC Smart Energy Centre in Treforest. She was appointed Chair of the Cardiff Business Partnership.

On 19 November 2010 it was announced that Morgan had been granted a life peerage and would sit on the Labour benches of the House of Lords, [14] and was gazetted on 27 January 2011 as Baroness Morgan of Ely, of Ely in the City of Cardiff.[15][16]

Welsh Parliament and Welsh Government

In 2015 Morgan was selected as a candidate for the 2016 Welsh election on the Mid and West Wales regional list. [17] On 5 May 2016 she was elected from the regional list as an Assembly Member in the Senedd.

In November 2017 she was appointed Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning.[18] Morgan became the Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language in December 2018.[19]

Morgan contested the 2018 Welsh Labour leadership election. She was then appointed by First Minister Mark Drakeford as Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language before being moved to Minister for Mental Health, Wellbeing and the Welsh Language in October 2020.

Personal and other

Eluned Morgan served on the Welsh Labour Party Executive for ten years and was appointed to the Welsh Assembly Advisory Group, which was responsible for developing the standing orders of the Senedd. She was a founding member of the Yes for Wales Cross-party group, which campaigned for the Assembly to be established.

Morgan is a Fellow of Trinity College Carmarthen[20] and is an Honorary-Distinguished Professor and Fellow of Cardiff University.[21] She served on the board of the International Baccalaureate Organisation for three years. She was the Chair of the Cardiff Business Partnership.[22] She was a member of the External Advisory Board to the Wales Governance Centre.[23] She served on the Council of Atlantic College. She was Chair of Live Music Now in Wales, a charity which sends talented young musicians to care homes and special schools and demonstrates the transformational impact of music.[24]

Morgan is married to Rev Dr Rhys Jenkins, who is a GP and also a non-stipendiary priest.[25]

Morgan's family hails from St David's in Pembrokeshire.[26]

In March 2022, Morgan was banned from driving for 6 months for speeding on a 30mph road in Wrexham [27]

In March 2023, the Welsh Conservatives have submitted a motion of no confidence in response to mounting criticism of Morgan's handling of the Betsi Cadwaladr crisis. Members of the Senedd opposed the vote. A total of 26 members supported it, while 29 opposed it.[28]

Notes
  1. Deputy Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language from 3 November 2017 to 13 December 2018; Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language from 13 December 2018 to 8 October 2020; Welsh Language from 8 October 2020.

References
  1. "Wales election: New health and education ministers in reshuffle". BBC News. 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  2. "Baroness Morgan of Ely". UK Parliament. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  3. Deans, David (2017). "Labour AM Morgan backs Wales Bill". BBC News. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  4. "Eluned MORGAN | History of parliamentary service | MEPs | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  5. Barry, Sion (24 August 2010). "Swalec celebrates 10 years under SSE". walesonline. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  6. Barry, Sion (19 June 2012). "Baroness Morgan appointed new chair of Cardiff Business Partnership". walesonline. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  7. Shipton, Martin (11 December 2015). "Former MEP Eluned Morgan on course to become an Assembly Member". walesonline. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  8. WalesOnline (14 October 2008). "Eluned Morgan to step down as MEP". walesonline. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  9. "Baroness Morgan of Ely". UK Parliament. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  10. "Baroness Morgan of Ely's tribute to Cardiff childhood". BBC News. 23 January 2011.
  11. "(Mair) Eluned Morgan MORGAN OF ELY". Debrett's. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  12. "MEP Eluned Morgan will step down". 14 October 2008. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  13. WalesOnline (5 April 2006). "What science can do for Wales". walesonline. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  14. "Latest Peerages announced". Number10.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  15. "No. 59682". The London Gazette. 27 January 2011. p. 1357.
  16. "HOUSE OF LORDS - Official Report" (PDF). Parliamentry Debates (HANSARD). 26 January 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  17. Martin Shipton (11 December 2015) "Former MEP Baroness Eluned Morgan on course to become an Assembly Member", Wales Online. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
  18. Williamson, David (3 November 2017). "The full details of Carwyn Jones' Welsh Government reshuffle". Walesonline. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  19. "First Minister Mark Drakeford appoints new cabinet". ITV News. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  20. UWTSD, Web Development Team -. "Baroness Eluned Morgan AM - University of Wales Trinity Saint David". www.uwtsd.ac.uk. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  21. "Eluned Morgan".
  22. Barry, Sion (20 June 2012). "Baroness Morgan appointed new chair of Cardiff Business Partnership". Wales Online. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  23. "External Advisory Board, Wales Governance Centre". Cardiff University. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  24. "Board of Governors". Live Music Now. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  25. "New ministers ordained by Archbishop - The Diocese of Llandaff". The Diocese of Llandaff. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  26. "Eluned Morgan elected as regional AM". County Echo. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  27. "Driving ban for Welsh Health Minister Eluned Morgan for speeding". BBC News. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  28. "Welsh NHS patients at risk, says former health boss". BBC News. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
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