# Frontbench Team of Ieuan Wyn Jones

Ieuan Wyn Jones, the leader of Plaid Cymru, formed his frontbench team of party spokespeople in the National Assembly for Wales on 25 May 2011 after the dissolution of his party's coalition government with Rhodri Morgan and Carwyn Jones' Welsh Labour following the 2011 National Assembly for Wales election. Jones had previously led a shadow cabinet before entering coalition from 2000 to 2007, when his party had served as the Official Opposition since the 1999 National Assembly for Wales election.
At the 2011 assembly election, Plaid Cymru's share of seats in the assembly fell from 15 to 11 seats to make it the third-largest party in the assembly. The Welsh Conservatives, which had served as the official opposition for the duration of the coalition government, won enough seats to supersede Plaid as the second-largest party with 14 seats and remained the official opposition after the end of the coalition. Jones announced that he would resign as Plaid leader in the first half of the assembly term and on 15 March 2012 Leanne Wood won a leadership election to succeed him as leader before forming a new frontbench team.

## Background

Ieuan Wyn Jones was elected president of Plaid Cymru in 2000 following the resignation of the previous president Dafydd Wigley on grounds of ill health. At the time, Plaid Cymru was the Official Opposition in the National Assembly for Wales, so Jones formed a shadow cabinet. After the 2007 National Assembly for Wales election, Jones engaged in coalition talks with the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the Welsh Conservatives to end Rhodri Morgan's Welsh Labour minority government. After these talks broke drown, Jones entered talks with Labour and in July Plaid Cymru formed a coalition government, with Jones becoming Morgan's deputy first minister. Plaid continued to serve in coalition with Labour after Morgan resigned and was succeeded by Carwyn Jones in 2009, with Ieuan Wyn Jones remaining as deputy first minister.
At the 2011 National Assembly for Wales election, Plaid Cymru share of seats fell from 15 to 11 seats and it lost its place as the second-largest party to the Welsh Conservatives, which won 14 seats and remained the Official Opposition, having gained that status after Plaid joined the government in 2007. After the election, Labour did not renew its coalition with Plaid Cymru and instead formed a minority government. As it was not the Official Opposition, Plaid Cymru did not form the new Welsh Shadow Cabinet, though it could appoint a frontbench team of party spokespeople like other minor opposition parties in the assembly.

## History

Jones formed his frontbench team of party spokespeople on 25 May 2011. Jones appointed himself as the spokesperson for finance and the constitution. Jocelyn Davies became the Plaid Cymru Group business manager and also its chief whip and the spokesperson for planning. The other appointments included Elin Jones as spokesperson for health, Simon Thomas as spokesperson for spokesperson for education, higher education and skills, Alun Ffred Jones as spokesperson for business, enterprise, technology and science, Leanne Wood as spokesperson for housing and regeneration, Rhodri Glyn Thomas as spokesperson for Europe, local government, communities and transport, Dafydd Elis-Thomas as spokesperson for environment and energy, Bethan Jenkins as spokesperson for heritage, Welsh language and sport, Lindsay Whittle as spokesperson for social services, children and equal opportunities, and Llyr Gruffydd as spokesperson for rural affairs (inc. agriculture, animal health and welfare).
On 13 May 2011, Jones announced that he would resign as the leader of Plaid Cymru sometime in the first half of the 4th assembly term which would end in 2016 following its disappointing performance at the 2011 assembly election. In October 2011, Jones announced that a leadership election would be held on 15 March 2012 to elect his successor. By December 2011, Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Elin Jones, Leanne Wood and Simon Thomas had all declared their intention to stand for the leadership. Thomas withdrew from the race in February 2012 and on 15 March 2012 Wood defeated Jones and Elis-Thomas and was elected the new leader of Plaid Cymru. She formed a new frontbench team on 21 March 2012.

## Members

| Portfolio | Spokesperson | Constituency | Term |
| Leader of Plaid Cymru | Ieuan Wyn Jones AM | Ynys Môn | August 2000–March 2012 |
| Spokesperson for Finance and the Constitution | Ieuan Wyn Jones AM | Ynys Môn | May 2011–March 2012 |
| Plaid Cymru Group Business Manager Plaid Cymru Group Chief Whip Spokesperson for Planning | Jocelyn Davies AM | South Wales East | May 2011–March 2012 |
| Spokesperson for Health | Elin Jones AM | Ceredigion | May 2011–March 2012 |
| Spokesperson for Education, Higher Education and Skills | Simon Thomas AM | Mid and West Wales | May 2011–March 2012 |
| Spokesperson for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science | Alun Ffred Jones AM | Arfon | May 2011–March 2012 |
| Spokesperson for Housing and Regeneration | Leanne Wood AM | North Wales | May 2011–March 2012 |
| Spokesperson for Europe, Local Government, Communities and Transport | Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM | Carmarthen East and Dinefwr | May 2011–March 2012 |
| Spokesperson for Environment and Energy | Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM | Dwyfor Meirionnydd | May 2011–March 2012 |
| Spokesperson for Heritage, Welsh Language and Sport | Bethan Jenkins AM | South Wales West | May 2011–March 2012 |
| Spokesperson for Social Services, Children and Equal Opportunities | Lindsay Whittle AM | South Wales East | May 2011–March 2012 |
| Spokesperson for Rural Affairs (inc. Agriculture, Animal Health and Welfare) | Llyr Gruffydd AM | North Wales | May 2011–March 2012 |