Downing Street has announced that former First Minister Carwyn Jones will be made a life peer. Mr Jones served as Wales’ First Minister from 2009 until he resigned in 2018, following the death of Carl Sergeant, who took his own life after being sacked from the Welsh cabinet.
Mr Jones has been a familiar face in the Welsh Assembly since the beginning of devolution, when he was appointed Labour AM for Bridgend in 1999. He remained as a member of the Senedd for Bridgend until the 2021 Senedd election.
After stepping back from politics, Mr Jones returned to Aberystwyth University as a law professor and launched a podcast series called ‘Carwyn Meets’ where he interviewed influential figures in the world of business. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
READ MORE: Body found in search for missing Cardiff 29-year-old
READ MORE: Schools tell parents ‘if your child still wears nappies you have to come in and change them yourselves’
A life peer is an honour given to individuals and entitles holders to sit in the House of Lords. The majority of peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister.
Mr Jones was one of 30 Labour peers appointed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday, December 20, with other high profile names including his former chief of staff Sue Gray as well as former Cardiff West MP Kevin Brannan, who held ministerial roles in Gordon Brown’s cabinet.