Jayne Bryant is a Welsh Labour Party politician serving as Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government since July 2024. Since May 2016 she has represented Newport West in the Senedd.

Jayne Bryant
Official portrait, 2024
Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government[a]
Assumed office
17 July 2024[1]
First MinisterVaughan Gething
Eluned Morgan
Preceded byJulie James
Minister for Mental Health and Early Years
In office
21 March 2024 – 17 July 2024
First MinisterVaughan Gething
Preceded byLynne Neagle
Succeeded bySarah Murphy
Member of the Senedd
for Newport West
Assumed office
7 May 2016
Preceded byDame Rosemary Butler
Majority3,906 (13.2%)
Personal details
BornNewport, Wales
Political partyWelsh Labour
ResidenceNewport, Wales
Alma materKeele University
ProfessionPolitician

Background

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Bryant was born in the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport. She attended St Julian's Comprehensive School and completed her studies at Keele University, graduating with a degree in History and Politics.[2]

Political career

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She contested the Wales European Parliament constituency as the second-place candidate on the Labour list in 2014, but was not elected.[2] She was subsequently selected as the Labour candidate for Newport West for the 2016 National Assembly for Wales election[3] and was re-elected in at the 2021 Senedd election.[4] She chaired the Senedd's Standards of Conduct committee from 2016 to 2021.[5]

In 2017 she was one of the founders of the Purple Plaques scheme of public markers for remarkable women who lived in Wales.[6]

Bryant supported Mark Drakeford in the 2018 Welsh Labour leadership election.[7]

In December 2023, Jayne became the Co-Chair of Vaughan Gething's Welsh Labour leadership campaign alongside Ken Skates MS.[8] She was appointed Minister for Mental Health and Early Years in the Gething government on 21 May 2024.[9] After Gething stood down on 17 July 2024, Bryant was promoted to the role of Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning, replacing Julie James, who had stood down to call for Gething's resignation.[10] Under Gething's successor, Eluned Morgan, as first minister, Bryant retained the role through August, but lost the planning portfolio in Morgan's September 2024 reshuffle.[11]

Notes

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  1. ^ Planning was included in Bryant's portfolio from July 2024 to September 2024

References

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  1. ^ "Vaughan Gething reshuffles Welsh Labour top team after resignations". The Independent. 17 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b Shipton, Martin (13 August 2013). "Jayne Bryant targets seat at the European Parliament". walesonline. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  3. ^ "Jayne Bryant chosen as Labour candidate for Newport West seat". South Wales Argus.
  4. ^ "ASSEMBLY ELECTION 2016: Labour retains Newport West". South Wales Argus.
  5. ^ "Jayne Bryant MS". senedd.wales. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  6. ^ Mosalski, Ruth (8 March 2017). "Purple plaques bid is launched to mark women's contribution to Welsh life". Wales Online. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Welsh Labour leadership: Ken Skates rules himself out". BBC News. 4 July 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Vaughan Gething announces Welsh first minister bid". BBC News. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  9. ^ Mosalski, Ruth (21 March 2024). "Live updates as Vaughan Gething confirms his cabinet appointments in first full day in Wales' top job". WalesOnline. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  10. ^ McKeon, Christopher (17 July 2024). "Vaughan Gething reshuffles Welsh Labour top team after resignations". The Independent. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Welsh government reshuffle: Miles back as minister after ousting Gething". BBC News. 11 September 2024. Retrieved 11 September 2024.