Vikki Howells

Vikki Howells is a Welsh Labour politician and former teacher. Since May 2016, she has been the Member of the Senedd for Cynon Valley.

Vikki Howells

MS
Member of the Senedd
for Cynon Valley
Assumed office
6 May 2016
Preceded byChristine Chapman
Majority5,994
Personal details
CitizenshipUnited Kingdom
NationalityWelsh
Political partyWelsh Labour
EducationSt John the Baptist School, Aberdare
Alma materUniversity of Wales, Cardiff

Early life and education

Howells was brought up in Cwmbach, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.[1] She was educated at St John the Baptist School, a Church in Wales secondary school in Aberdare.[2] She studied international and Welsh history at the University of Wales, Cardiff, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.[2] She remained at Cardiff to undertake postgraduate study in Modern Welsh History, and graduated with a Master of Arts (MA) degree.[2]

Career

Teaching career

Before her election to the Senedd, Howells was a history teacher and the assistant head of sixth form at St Cenydd Comprehensive School in Caerphilly, South Wales.

Political career

In December 2015, it was announced that Howells had been selected as the Welsh Labour candidate for the Cynon Valley constituency of the Senedd Cymru.[3] She has been a member of the Labour Party for over 20 years.[3] On 5 May 2016, she was elected a Member of the Welsh Assembly for that constituency; she received 9,830 votes (51.1% of the votes cast).[1]In September 2020 Howells was found to have breached the Standards of Conduct for Members of the Senedd by allowing Louise Magee, Welsh Labour General Secretary to use the Senedd Estate for party political purposes contrary to the guidance issues in relation to the General Election in December 2019.[4] Howells was one of a number of Labour Senedd Members to vote against extending free school meals to all families on universal credit or with 'no recourse to public funds' in December 2020.[5]

Howells chairs the Welsh Labour Group of MSs.[6] Howells is President of mental health charity Friends R Us and Vice-President of Cwmbach Male Voice Choir.[6] Vikki is also a member of the Cynon Valley History Society, the social justice thinktank the Bevan Foundation, the Co-operative Party, the GMB and USDAW.[6]

References
  1. Tegeltija, Sam (6 May 2016). "Assembly Election 2016: Labour holds Cynon as Vikki Howells succeeds Christine Chapman". Wales Online. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  2. "Vikki Howells AM". assembly.wales. National Assembly for Wales. 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  3. Tegeltija, Sam (8 December 2015). "Teacher Vikki Howells announced as Labour's Cynon Valley candidate for National Assembly election". Walses Online. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  4. "Report 01-20 to the Senedd under Standing Order 22.9" (PDF). senedd.wales.
  5. "Voting Summary - motion to extend free school meals to all families on Universal Credit / in poverty" (PDF).
  6. https://www.vikkihowells.com/en/about-vikki/
Senedd Cymru
Preceded by
Christine Chapman		 Member of the Senedd for Cynon Valley
2016 to present		 Incumbent
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