Mark Drakeford

Mark Drakeford was born and brought up in Carmarthenshire, West Wales. He was educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, then an all-boys grammar school in Carmarthen.[4] He studied Latin at the University of Kent,[4] and graduated from the University of Exeter.[5]

After university, he trained both as a teacher and as a social worker. He moved to Cardiff in 1979 and worked as a probation officer and a youth justice worker, including as a Barnardo's project leader in the Ely and Caerau communities. His experiences working with young people in deprived areas inspired him to help establish the Welsh youth homelessness charity Llamau in the late 1980s.

From 1991 to 1995, Drakeford was a lecturer in applied social studies at the University College of Swansea (now Swansea University).[6] He then moved to the University of Wales, Cardiff, renamed as Cardiff University in 1999, as a lecturer in its School of Social and Administrative Studies.[6] He was promoted to senior lecturer in 1999 and appointed as Professor of Social Policy and Applied Social Sciences in 2003.[6] Drakeford continued in his academic posts until his appointment as a Welsh Government minister in 2013. He has published books and journal articles on various aspects of social policy.[7]

Drakeford has always been interested in politics, which he says was part of the fabric of life in 1960s Carmarthenshire.[8] He has also stated that he was 'always Labour', believing that a person's ties to the economy are the great determining factor in their life chances.[9]

From 1985 to 1993, Drakeford represented the Pontcanna ward on South Glamorgan County Council, with fellow future Welsh Assembly members Jane Hutt and Jane Davidson as his ward colleagues.[10] He served as Chair of the Education Committee and took a particular interest in Welsh-medium education.[11]

Having been part of the successful Yes for Wales campaign in the 1997 Welsh devolution referendum, he was selected as the Labour candidate for Cardiff Central at the first Welsh Assembly election, as part of Labour's ‘twinned seats’ policy. The seat was won by the Liberal Democrats' Jenny Randerson.

Following Rhodri Morgan’s appointment as First Minister in 2000, Drakeford became the Welsh Government’s special advisor on health and social policy, and later served as the head of Morgan’s political office. He had been close with Morgan for a number of years, having been Morgan's election agent when he was elected to the UK Parliament. In his role as a special advisor, Drakeford was one of the principal architects of the 'clear red water' philosophy, which made a distinction between Labour Party policy under Morgan in Wales and under Tony Blair in Westminster.[12]

Drakeford succeeded Morgan as the Assembly Member for Cardiff West when the latter retired at the 2011 election. Soon after, he became Chair of the Assembly’s Health and Social Care Committee and of the All-Wales Programme Monitoring Committee for European Funds.[11]

In 2013, he was invited by First Minister Carwyn Jones to join the Government, replacing Lesley Griffiths as Minister for Health and Social Services. His appointment was welcomed by the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing. As Health Minister, he guided both the Human Transplantation Act and the Nurse Staffing Levels Act through the Senedd.

In a reshuffle after the 2016 election, he became Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government. His portfolio was later changed, as he assumed responsibility for the Welsh Government’s Brexit preparations and responsibility for local government was transferred to Alun Davies.

First Minister

Premiership of Mark Drakeford 13 December 2018 – present
Premier	Mark Drakeford
Cabinet	Drakeford government
Party	Welsh Labour Party
Appointed by	Elizabeth II
Seat	Tŷ Hywel

Mark Drakeford was nominated by AMs as First Minister designate on 12 December and his nomination was approved by HM The Queen. He named his government the following day. He was appointed as a Privy Counsellor on 10 January 2019.

As First Minister, Drakeford has been responding to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Wales.

Drakeford married his wife Clare (née Buckle) in Cambridge in 1977. They have three children.[22]

• Drakeford, Mark (1999). Privatisation and social policy. London: Longman. ISBN 978-0582356405.
• Butler, Ian; Drakeford, Mark (2005). Scandal, social policy, and social welfare (2nd ed.). Bristol: Policy Press. ISBN 978-1861347466.
• Jordan, Bill; Drakeford, Mark (2012). Social work and social policy under austerity. Basingstoke: Palgrave. ISBN 978-1137020635.
• Scourfield, Jonathan; Dicks, Bella; Drakeford, Mark; Davies, Andrew (2006). Children, place and identity: nation and locality in middle childhood. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0415351263.

• Senedd Cymru - Member details