First Minister of Wales

The first minister of Wales (Welsh: prif weinidog Cymru) is the head of the Welsh Government and keeper of the Welsh Seal. Established in 1999 as a result of Welsh devolution and initially as the assembly first secretary, the office serves as Wales's most senior political position and has evolved significantly through successive constitutional reforms. The first minister chairs the Welsh Cabinet, leads the formulation and implementation of government policy across all devolved areas, and represents Wales in official capacities both domestically and internationally, including on constitutional affairs when they relate to devolution and the Welsh Government.

The first minister is a member of the Senedd who is nominated by the Senedd (Welsh Parliament; Welsh: Senedd Cymru) before being officially appointed by the Monarch. The first minister appoints members of the cabinet, junior ministers, and law officers, whilst remaining directly accountable to the Senedd for their actions and those of the Welsh Government. The first minister exercises executive authority over matters that are devolved to the Welsh Government including powers relating to health, education, economic development, transport, housing, and the Welsh language, whilst working within the broader constitutional framework of the United Kingdom.

The main office of the first minister is in Tŷ Hywel, adjacent to the Senedd building in Cardiff Bay, with an additional office at the Crown Buildings, in Cathays Park, Cardiff, which serves as Welsh Government headquarters. The incumbent first minister is the Baroness Morgan of Ely, who has served since August 2024.

The Government of Wales Act 1998 established the National Assembly for Wales, with an executive (the Cabinet) and a limited legislature. The head of the Welsh executive was initially titled "Assembly First Secretary" (Welsh: Prif Ysgrifennydd y Cynulliad) under Section 53(1) of the 1998 Act.

The establishment of the assembly followed campaign efforts since the 20th century for the transfer administrative responsibilities from Whitehall to Wales. Following the 1964 UK election, a new Secretary of State for Wales was created with responsibility for housing, local government and roads, with additional powers gradually added over subsequent years. The 1973 Royal Commission on the Constitution recommended the creation of elected bodies for Scotland and Wales, but the proposals were rejected by 79.7% to 20.3% in the 1979 Welsh devolution referendum. Following their 1997 manifesto commitments, the incoming Labour UK government held a referendum on devolution in September 1997, with 50.3% voting in favour and 49.7% against, on majority of just 6,721 votes.

The first person to hold the office was Alun Michael, who became Assembly First Secretary on 12 May 1999. Michael later resigned months later on 9 February 2000, due to his minority Labour administration experiencing difficulties in securing agreement from other parties over European Union Objective One funding, and resigned to avoid a vote of no confidence by the opposition parties.

Michael's successor Rhodri Morgan, appointed in February 2000, announced that he would want to be addressed as "First Minister" rather than "First Secretary". Morgan also renamed "Assembly Secretaries" as "Ministers".

The Government of Wales Act 2006 made the first minister the official "Keeper of the Welsh Seal" and allowed the post to be formally known as "First Minister".