Interim Rhodri Morgan administration explained

Cabinet Name:Interim Morgan administration
Cabinet Number:2nd
Cabinet Type:devolved administration
Jurisdiction:Wales
Flag:Flag of Wales 2.svg
Flag Border:true
Incumbent:9 February 2000 – 16 October 2000
Date Formed:9 February 2000
Date Dissolved:16 October 2000
Government Head Title:First Minister
Government Head:Rhodri Morgan
State Head Title:Monarch
State Head:Elizabeth II
Opposition Leader:Dafydd Wigley
Ieuan Wyn Jones
Legislature Term:1st National Assembly for Wales
Previous:Michael administration
Successor:First Rhodri Morgan government

The interim Rhodri Morgan administration was a temporary government of Wales formed on 9 February 2000 by Rhodri Morgan, following the resignation of Alun Michael as First Secretary,[1] which was pre-empted by a vote of no-confidence by Plaid Cymru.

Rhodri Morgan was named as Acting First Secretary on 9 February and confirmed as the permanent First Secretary on 15 February 2000.[2] This Ministry ran until Morgan formed a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats in October 2000.

This administration was always viewed as temporary and Labour had mooted looking for a coalition partner following their persevered poor showing in the 1999 election.[3]

Cabinet

Office PortraitName Term Party
First Secretary of Wales and Secretary for Economic DevelopmentRhodri Morgan9 February - 16 OctoberLabour
Minister for Assembly BusinessAndrew Davies22 February - 16 OctoberLabour
Finance SecretaryEdwina Hart22 February - 16 OctoberLabour
Secretary for Post 16 Education and TrainingTom Middlehurst22 February - 9 OctoberLabour
Minister for Health and Social ServicesJane Hutt22 February - 16 OctoberLabour
Secretary for Education and ChildrenRosemary Butler22 February - 16 OctoberLabour
Secretary for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentChristine Gwyther22 February - 23 JulyLabour
Carwyn Jones23 July - 16 OctoberLabour
Secretary for Local Government and Housing Peter Law22 February - 16 OctoberLabour
Secretary for Environment, Planning and TransportSue Essex22 February - 16 OctoberLabour
Office holders given special provisions to attend Cabinet:
Chief WhipKaren Sinclair22 February - 16 OctoberLabour

Deputy Secretaries

Deputy Secretaries prior to the enactment of the Government of Wales Act 2006 were not officially part of the Government, were not paid and received limited official support.

Office PortraitName Term Party
Deputy Secretary for Health and Social ServicesAlun Pugh23 February 2000 - 17 October 2000Labour
Deputy Secretary for Agriculture, Local Government and Environment Carwyn Jones23 February 2000 - 23 July 2000Labour
Delyth Evans24 July 2000 - 17 October 2000Labour
Deputy Secretary for Education and the Economy Christine Chapman23 February 2000 - 17 October 2000Labour

All job titles and dates are taken from the History of The National Assembly section of their website[2]

Aftermath

Between February and October 2000 Rhodri Morgan's Labour Party had 28 of the Assembly's 60 seats. The six Liberal Democrat seats would provided a comfortable working majority.

Developments quickly occurred during the autumn of 2000 culminating in Tom Middlehurst resigning as Secretary for post-16 education on 9 October claiming he could not “contemplate sitting down at the Cabinet table with the Liberal Democrats”.[4]

A new coalition government (the coalition used the term government rather than administration; officially referred to as the Coalition Partnership) was officially announced on 5 October 2000 with policy details emerging the day later. Cabinet Ministers (the coalition replaced the title of Secretary with Minister) were then appointed on 16 October and Deputies on 17 October. That government lasted until the 2003 election.

Notes and References

  1. News: Acting Welsh first secretary announced . 9 February 2000. 13 December 2018.
  2. News: First Assembly. National Assembly for Wales. 13 December 2018. 1 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200201115226/https://www.assembly.wales/en/bus-home/research/bus-assembly-publications-monitoring-services/Pages/key-events-first-assembly.aspx. dead.
  3. News: Labour seeking Welsh partner . BBC Wales. 7 May 1999. 17 December 2018.
  4. News: Welsh cabinet member resigns. The Times. 10 October 2000. 13 December 2018.