Sam Rowlands Explained

Sam Rowlands
Honorific-Suffix:MS
Party:Conservative
Spouse:Natasha Rowlands
Children:3
Committees:Local Government and Housing Committee
Office:Member of the Senedd
for North Wales
Term Start:8 May 2021
Office1:Shadow Minister for Health
Termstart1:18 April 2024
Predecessor1:Russell George
Leader1:Andrew RT Davies
Office2:Shadow Minister for Local Government
Termstart2:27 May 2021
Termend2:18 April 2024
Predecessor2:Laura Anne Jones
Successor2:Peter Fox
Office3:Leader of Conwy County Borough Council
Termstart3:3 June 2019
Termend3:13 May 2021
Predecessor3:Gareth Jones
Successor3:Charlie McCoubrey
Office4:Conwy County Borough Councillor for Pentre Mawr Ward
Termstart4:2 May 2008
Termend4:5 May 2022

Sam Rowlands is a Welsh Conservative politician serving as Member of the Senedd (MS) for the North Wales electoral region since 2021,[1] and Shadow Minister for Health since April 2024. He also formerly served as Leader of Conwy County Borough Council from 2019 to 2021.

Personal Life and Career

Rowlands worked for HSBC from 2009 to 2019 as a credit risk manager.[2]

Rowlands is married, and has three daughters.

Political Career

Rowlands began his career as a member of Conwy County Borough Council[3] and Abergele Town Council,[4] being first elected in the 2008 Welsh Local Government Elections.[5] He represented the Pentre Mawr electoral ward. He served as the mayor of Abergele from 2015 to 2016.[6] Rowlands also stood in the Vale of Clwyd in the 2016 Welsh Assembly Election.[7] He was not elected.

After the 2017 Conwy County Borough Council elections, Rowlands formed part of the minority Conservative-Independent administration run by Gareth Jones,[8] serving as the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources between June 2017 and June 2019. In June 2019, Rowlands was removed from this role by Jones, after holding talks to take control of the council.[9] [10] Rowlands then tabled a no-confidence motion in Jones' leadership, and took control of the council,[11] which he led until 2021, when he resigned as leader upon being elected as Member of the Senedd for the North Wales electoral region.[12] [13] He served the remainder of his term as a Councillor, leaving the role at the 2022 elections, which he did not contest.

Following his election to the Senedd, Rowlands was appointed Shadow Minister for Local Government.[14] He re-established the Cross Party Group on Tourism.[15] Rowlands led a campaign working with Conwy County Borough Council to re-establish the Conwy County Borough School's Football Association in 2021.[16] Rowlands has spoken on the importance of sport to keep people fit and healthy as well as a driver for economic development in the Welsh Parliament. In 2022 he also became the Chairman of Welsh Parliament Cross Party Group on the Outdoor Activity Sector. He is also a member of the Health and Social Care committee, as well as a member of cross party groupings on Armed Forces and Cadets, Beer and Pubs, Horseracing, Industrial Communities, North Wales, Renewable and Low Carbon Energy, Rural Growth, Sport, and Welsh Wool.

In a reshuffle in April 2024, Rowlands was appointed as Shadow Health Minister.[17]

Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill

During July 2022 Rowlands's proposed Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill was drawn in the Welsh Parliament's ballot of proposed member's bills.[18] On 26 October 2022 the Welsh Parliament voted to allow time and resources to be committed to developing this legislation further, with support from Conservative, Plaid Cymru and Liberal Democrat MSs. Labour opposed the bill.[19] In April 2024, the bill was rejected by the Senedd, after a motion to agree the general principles of the bill failed.[20]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Election results for North Wales . 16 January 2023 . Flintshire County Council.
  2. Web site: Sam Rowlands MS . 2024-05-21 . North West Wales . en.
  3. Web site: Local Democracy . Election results for Pentre Mawr . Conwy County Borough Council . 16 January 2023.
  4. Web site: Local Democracy . Election results for Abergele - Pentre Mawr . Conwy County Borough Council . 16 January 2023.
  5. Web site: Local Elections Archive Project - 2012 - Conwy . 2024-05-21 . www.andrewteale.me.uk.
  6. Web site: Attend meetings - mayor. - Free Online Library . Attend meetings - mayor. . The Free Library by Farlex . 16 January 2023.
  7. Web site: April 2013 . Election results for Vale of Clwyd . 16 January 2023 . Denbighshire County Council.
  8. News: 2017-06-19 . Plaid Cymru Conwy leader defies party on Tory coalition . 2024-05-21 . BBC News . en-GB.
  9. News: 2019-05-28 . Conwy council leader faces leadership contest . 2024-05-21 . BBC News . en-GB.
  10. Web site: 2019-05-28 . Threat to Conwy council's leadership result of naked political ambition . 2024-05-21 . Rhyl Journal . en.
  11. News: 2019-06-03 . Conwy council leader replaced by sacked councillor . 2024-05-21 . BBC News . en-GB.
  12. Web site: 2021-05-12 . Conwy council's leader to resign after winning MS seat at Senedd Cymru election . 2024-05-21 . North Wales Pioneer . en.
  13. News: 2021-05-27 . Welsh election: Fresh faces in new Conservative Senedd team . 2024-05-21 . BBC News . en-GB.
  14. Web site: Boozy MSs who drank in the Senedd after the alcohol ban came in get top roles on Welsh Tory frontbench - Wales Online . 2024-06-30 . www.walesonline.co.uk.
  15. Web site: 16 January 2023 . Minutes of 8 July 2021 . Welsh Parliament . business.senedd.wales.
  16. News: Colwyn Bay footballer selected for full Welsh under-14s squad . 16 January 2023.
  17. Web site: Price . Emily . 2024-04-18 . Welsh Conservatives reshuffle shadow cabinet . 2024-06-30 . Nation.Cymru . en-GB.
  18. Web site: 16 January 2023 . Development of the Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill . Welsh Parliament . senedd.wales.
  19. Web site: 16 January 2023 . Vote Outcomes Plenary 26/10/2022 . Welsh Parliament . record.assembly.wales.
  20. Web site: 2023-11-16 . Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill . 2024-05-23 . business.senedd.wales . en-gb.