Shadow Cabinet of Wales

The Welsh Shadow Cabinet is constituted by members of the largest party not part of the Welsh Government. Since 6 April 2017 this has been the Welsh Conservatives. And since 7 May 2021 the Leader of the Opposition has been Andrew RT Davies.

Both the Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru currently refer to their own front benches as Shadow Cabinets. As of May 2021 the following speak for their respective party and question the relevant minister in plenary session.

Conservative Shadow Cabinet

Main article: Third Shadow Cabinet of Andrew RT Davies

Conservative Shadow Cabinet (as of 24 January 2021)

Portfolio	Name			Constituency or electoral region	Term
Leader of the Opposition Leader of the Welsh Conservatives	style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Andrew RT Davies MS	South Wales Central	2021–
Shadow Minister for Health and Social Services	style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Angela Burns MS	Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire	2021– May 2021
Shadow Minister for Finance, North Wales and Chief Whip	style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Mark Isherwood MS	North Wales	2021– May 2021
Shadow Minister for Economy, Transport and Mid Wales	style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Russell George MS	Montgomeryshire	2021– May 2021
Shadow Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs	style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Janet Finch-Saunders MS	Aberconwy	2021– May 2021
Shadow Minister for Mental Health, Wellbeing, Culture and Sport	style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color; width: 1px" |		David Melding MS	South Wales Central	2021– May 2021
Shadow Minister for Education, Skills and the Welsh Language	style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Suzy Davies MS	South Wales West	2021– May 2021
Shadow Minister for Housing and Local Government, Equalities, Children and Young People	style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Laura Anne Jones MS	South Wales East	2021– May 2021

Plaid Cymru Shadow Cabinet

After winning the 2018 Plaid Cymru leadership election with 49.7% of first preference votes, Adam Price installed former leadership rivals Leanne Wood (22.3%) and Rhun ap Iorwerth (28%) in high ranking positions in his shadow cabinet. He most recently updated his cabinet in a January 2020 reshuffle and after the 2021 Senedd Election.

Plaid Cymru shadow cabinet (as of January 2020)

Portfolio	Name			Constituency or electoral region	Term
Leader of Plaid Cymru	style="background-color: Template:Plaid Cymru/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Adam Price MS	Carmarthen East and Dinefwr	2018–
Deputy Leader and Shadow Minister for Health and Social Care	style="background-color: Template:Plaid Cymru/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Rhun ap Iorwerth MS	Ynys Môn	2021–
Deputy Leader and Chief Whip Shadow Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, Children and Young People	style="background-color: Template:Plaid Cymru/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Siân Gwenllian MS	Arfon	2018–
Shadow Minister for Social Justice and Equalities	style="background-color: Template:Plaid Cymru/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Sioned Williams MS	South Wales West	2021–
Finance and Local Government	style="background-color: Template:Plaid Cymru/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Llyr Huws Gruffydd MS	North Wales	2021–
Shadow Minister for the Economy	style="background-color: Template:Plaid Cymru/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Luke Fletcher MS	South Wales West	2021–
Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Energy and Transport	style="background-color: Template:Plaid Cymru/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Delyth Jewell MS	South Wales East	2021–
Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Rural Affairs	style="background-color: Template:Plaid Cymru/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Cefin Campbell MS	Mid and West Wales	2021–
Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning	style="background-color: Template:Plaid Cymru/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Mabon ap Gwynfor MS	Dwyfor Meirionnydd	2021–
Shadow Minister for Culture, Sport and International Affairs	style="background-color: Template:Plaid Cymru/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Heledd Fychan MS	South Wales Central	2021–
Shadow Minister for the Constitution and Justice	style="background-color: Template:Plaid Cymru/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Rhys ab Owen MS	South Wales Central	2021–
Shadow Minister for Communities and Older People	style="background-color: Template:Plaid Cymru/meta/color; width: 1px" |		Peredur Owen Griffiths MS	South Wales East	2021–

2016 Plaid-Conservative Shadow Cabinets

At the 2016 election, Plaid Cymru, led by Leanne Wood, won 12 seats to the Welsh Conservatives' 11, and thus became the largest party not in government. On 14 October 2016 Dafydd Elis-Thomas left Plaid Cymru to sit as an independent, so that Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Conservatives both held 11 seats. During this period, Wood was not referred to as Leader of the Opposition, but merely as leader of Plaid Cymru. The Conservative group grew to 12 when Mark Reckless defected from UKIP to the Conservative group on 6 April 2017, and the Welsh Conservative leader, Andrew RT Davies at the time, was referred to as Leader of the Opposition once more.

See also

• Drakeford government