Carwyn Jones

The Right Honourable The Lord Jones of Penybont PC
Official portrait, 2016
First Minister of Wales
In office 10 December 2009 – 12 December 2018
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Deputy	Ieuan Wyn Jones (2009–2011)
Preceded by	Rhodri Morgan
Succeeded by	Mark Drakeford
Leader of Welsh Labour
In office 1 December 2009 – 6 December 2018
Deputy	Carolyn Harris (2018)
UK party leader	Gordon Brown Ed Miliband Jeremy Corbyn
Preceded by	Rhodri Morgan
Succeeded by	Mark Drakeford
Counsel General for Wales
In office 19 July 2007 – 9 December 2009
First Minister	Rhodri Morgan
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	John Griffiths
Ministerial offices Minister for Education, Culture and the Welsh Language In office 25 May 2007 – 19 July 2007 First Minister Rhodri Morgan Preceded by Jane Davidson Succeeded by Jane Hutt Minister for the Environment, Planning and Countryside In office 13 May 2003 – 25 May 2007 First Minister Rhodri Morgan Preceded by Delyth Evans Succeeded by Jane Davidson Minister for Assembly Business In office 18 June 2002 – 13 May 2003 First Minister Rhodri Morgan Preceded by Andrew Davies Succeeded by Karen Sinclair Minister for Agriculture and Rural Affairs In office 23 July 2000 – 18 June 2002 First Minister Rhodri Morgan Preceded by Christine Gwyther Succeeded by Mike German
Member of the Senedd for Bridgend
In office 6 May 1999 – 29 April 2021
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Sarah Murphy
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 23 January 2025 Life peerage
Personal details
Born	Carwyn Howell Jones (1967-03-21) 21 March 1967 (age 57) Swansea, Wales
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Lisa Jones
Children	2
Alma mater	Aberystwyth University Inns of Court School of Law
Profession	Barrister
Cabinet	First Jones government Second Jones government Third Jones government
Signature
Carwyn Jones's voice Jones's 2016 Saint David's Day greeting Recorded 24 February 2016

This article is part of a series about Carwyn Jones
MS for Bridgend Leader of Welsh Labour (2009–2018) 2009 leadership election First Minister of Wales (2009–2018) Premiership First Ministry 2011 Welsh devolution referendum Second Ministry 2011 election Wales Act 2014 Third Ministry 2016 election Wales Act 2017
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Carwyn Howell Jones, Baron Jones of Penybont, PC (born 21 March 1967), is a Welsh politician who served as First Minister of Wales and Leader of Welsh Labour from 2009 to 2018. He previously served as Counsel General for Wales from 2007 to 2009. Jones was the member of the Senedd (MS) for Bridgend from 1999 to 2021. He has been a member of the House of Lords since 2025.

Jones served in the Cabinet as Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Welsh Government from 2000 to 2002, and as Minister of State for the Environment from 2003 to 2007.^[1] Following the 2007 election, he was appointed Minister for Education, Culture and the Welsh Language, and thereafter Counsel General for Wales and Leader of the House following the One Wales coalition agreement with Plaid Cymru.

Jones succeeded Rhodri Morgan as first minister and the leader of Welsh Labour on 1 December 2009.^[2][3] The third politician to lead the Welsh Government, Jones was formally nominated as first minister by the National Assembly on 9 December 2009, and was sworn into office the following day.^[2]

In April 2018 he announced he would step down as first minister that autumn, and in December 2018 Mark Drakeford (the Finance Secretary in Jones' cabinet) was elected as his replacement.^[4]