Jane Hutt

Jane Elizabeth Hutt MS (born 15 December 1949) is a Welsh Labour Party[1] politician and Chief Whip in the Welsh Government. Hutt has represented the Vale of Glamorgan constituency since the Senedd Cymru was established in 1999.

Jane Hutt

Government Chief Whip
Assumed office
13 December 2018
First MinisterMark Drakeford
Preceded byJulie James
In office
19 May 2016  3 November 2017
First MinisterCarwyn Jones
Preceded byJanice Gregory
Succeeded byJulie James
Minister for Education and Skills
In office
19 July 2007  10 December 2009
First MinisterRhodri Morgan
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byLeighton Andrews
Member of the Senedd
for Vale of Glamorgan
Assumed office
6 May 1999
Preceded byOffice established
Personal details
Born (1949-12-15) 15 December 1949
Epsom, England
Political partyWelsh Labour
Spouse(s)Michael Trickey
Children2 daughters
Alma materUniversity of Kent, London School of Economics, University of Bristol
OccupationCouncillor, trade unionist
WebsiteWelsh Labour

She served as a Minister continually from May 1999 until November 2017, making her at the time the longest serving Labour Government Minister in history, before being succeeded by former First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones.[2] She was reappointed to government by First Minister Mark Drakeford in December 2018 as Chief Whip, a role now classified as a junior ministerial position.[3] In mid-2019 she again became the longest serving Minister.

Early years

Born in Epsom, Surrey, on 15 December 1949, Hutt's Welsh-speaking grandparents are from North Wales,[4] and her father was the pathologist Michael Hutt.[5] Hutt graduated from the University of Kent, Canterbury in 1970 with a BA (Hons), gained a Certificate of Qualification in Social Work at the London School of Economics in 1972 and an MSc at the University of Bristol in 1995.

Professional career

Hutt was one of the founder members of Welsh Women's Aid, a feminist organisation campaigning on behalf of women who are victims of domestic violence. She was appointed as a coordinator of the group in January 1978.

Hutt held non-political appointments as director of the equal opportunities organisation Chwarae Teg and non-executive director of the Cardiff Community Health Care Trust. Member New Deal Task Force. School Governor. Welsh member on the New Opportunities (UK) Fund.

Political career

Hutt was a councillor on South Glamorgan County Council and a former vice-chair of the Social Services Committee. She unsuccessfully stood for election to the British Parliament in 1983 in Cardiff North.

Hutt was elected to the Senedd Cymru in 1999 and has been re-elected at every subsequent election. She served as a government minister for a total of 18 years, 5 months, 23 days (or 6,751 days) from 12 May 1999 to 3 November 2017 making her the then longest serving Labour Minister in UK history. Her record was surpassed in 2018 by Carwyn Jones who served a total of 6,868 days.

She made her first appearance on the back benches on 14 November 2017.[6]

She again returned to the government as Chief Whip on 13 December 2018.

Ministerial Roles

Position Entered office Left office Governments Notes
Minister for Health and Social Services 12 May 1999 [7] 2005 Michael

1st Morgan
2nd Morgan

Minister for Assembly Business and Chief Whip 2005 31 May 2007 2nd Morgan
Minister for Budget and Assembly Business 31 May 2007 19 July 2007 3rd Morgan
Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills 19 July 2007 Dec 2009 4th Morgan
Minister for Budget and Assembly Business Dec 2009 May 2011 1st Jones
Leader of the House and Minister for Finance May 2011 May 2016 2nd Jones
Leader of the House and Chief Whip May 2016 3 November 2017 3rd Jones
Deputy Minister and Chief Whip 13 December 2018 Present Drakeford

Following the Assembly's creation in 1999 she immediately became Health Minister. She remained in post until January 2005 when she was removed from the position, following strong criticism over long hospital waiting lists.[8] An independent report showed that even though waiting list time targets were higher than in England and Scotland, Hutt had still failed to meet them.[9] As a result, she faced criticism from all the major political parties in Wales, with the strongest coming from within her own party. As a result, her position became untenable, as some became worried that the problems could even damage the case for further Welsh devolution.[10]

She became Minister for Assembly Business and Chief Whip, with additional responsibility for Openness in Government; Communications Strategy; co-ordinating Government policy in relation to children and Equality of Opportunity. In the first Cabinet of the Third Assembly, she was appointed Minister for Budget and Assembly Business (31 May 2007). In the coalition, Cabinet announced on 19 July 2007 she became Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills.

She left the government during the November 2017 reshuffle, but returned as Chief Whip thirteen months later under new First Minister Mark Drakeford. She is the only MS to have served as a Minister in every Welsh Government to date.

Personal life

In July 1984 Hutt married Labour councillor Michael Trickey, they have two daughters.[11]

Offices held

Senedd Cymru
Preceded by
(new post)
Member of the Senedd for Vale of Glamorgan
1999–present
Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
(new post)
Minister for Health and Social Services
1999–2005
Succeeded by
Brian Gibbons
Preceded by
Karen Sinclair
Minister for Assembly Business and Chief Whip
2005–2007
Succeeded by
(post re-organised)
Preceded by
(new post)
Minister for Budget and Assembly Business
2007 (31 May to 19 July)
Succeeded by
(post re-organised)
Preceded by
(new post)
Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills
2007–2009
Succeeded by
Leighton Andrews
Preceded by
(new post)
Minister for Business and Budget
2009–2011
Succeeded by
(post re-organised)
Preceded by
(new post)
Minister for Finance
2011–2016
Succeeded by
Mark Drakeford
Preceded by
Janice Gregory
Leader of the House and Chief Whip
2016–2017
Succeeded by
Julie James
Preceded by
(post split, Julie James as whip)
Chief Whip
2018–Present
Incumbent

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.