Rhodri Morgan, pictured while on an eve of poll visit during the National Assembly of Wales election in 2003.

The Right Honourable Hywel Rhodri Morgan (born 29 September 1939) is a Welsh politician and the second and current First Minister of Wales. He was born in Cardiff and educated at St John's College, Oxford and Harvard University. He worked for South Glamorgan County Council from 1974 to 1980 before becoming head of the European Community's office in Wales. He was elected as Labour MP for Cardiff West in 1987. From 1988 to 1994, he was a Shadow Environment Spokesman. He became First Minister on 16 October 2000, having held the same post under its old title of "First Secretary" since February of that year. He was appointed to the Privy Council in July 2000. ImageMetadata File history File links Rhodri Morgan AM, First Minister of Wales, pictured at Wrexham Rugby Club on an eve of poll visit during the National Assembly elections in May 2003. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Rhodri Morgan AM, First Minister of Wales, pictured at Wrexham Rugby Club on an eve of poll visit during the National Assembly elections in May 2003. ... The Right Honourable (abbreviated The Rt. ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years). ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... For an explanation of often confusing terms such as Great Britain, Britain, United Kingdom, England and Wales and England, see British Isles (terminology). ... A politician is an individual involved in politics to the extent of holding or running for public office. ... The First Minister of Wales is the leader of Wales and of the Welsh Assembly Government, Waless devolved administration. ... This article is about the city in Wales. ... College name St Johns College Named after Saint John the Baptist Established 1555 Sister College Sidney Sussex College President Sir Michael Scholar KCB JCR President Martha Burgess Undergraduates 381 Graduates 184 Homepage Boatclub St Johns College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in... Harvard University (incorporated as The President and Fellows of Harvard College) is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ... October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in Leap years). ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Her Majestys Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. ...

A committed supporter of Welsh devolution Morgan contested the position of Labour's nominee for the (then titled) First Secretary of the Welsh Assembly. He lost to the then Secretary of State for Wales, Ron Davies. Davies was then forced to resign his position after an alleged sex scandal, whereupon Morgan again ran for the post. His opponent, Alun Michael, the new Secretary of State for Wales, was seen as a reluctant participant despite also having a long-standing commitment to Welsh devolution, and was widely regarded as being the choice of the UK leadership of the Labour Party. For devolution as a term sometimes misapplied to evolution, see devolution (fallacy) Devolution or home rule is the granting of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ... The National Assembly for Wales (or NAW) (Welsh: Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru) was established in 1998, following a 1997 referendum in which a small majority of voters (but not the electorate) voted in favour of the Labour Governments plans for devolution. ... The post of Secretary of State for Wales came into existence in October of 1964, the first incumbent being Jim Griffiths, MP for Llanelli. ... The Right Honourable Ron Davies (born August 6, 1946) is a Welsh politician, former Member of Parliament and former member of the Welsh Assembly. ... The Right Honourable Alun Edward Michael (born August 2, 1943) is a Welsh politician. ...

Michael was duly elected to the leadership but resigned a little more than a year later, amid threats of an imminent no-confidence vote and widespread plotting against him by members of not only his own party, but also Assembly groups and Cabinet members. Rhodri Morgan was elected as the new Labour nominee, and thus First Minister. He stepped down from the British House of Commons at the 2001 General Election. The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ...

Morgan's leadership has been characterised by a willingness to distance himself from a number of aspects of UK Labour party policy, particularly in relation to plans to introduce choice in public services. Critics have also complained about a perceived lack of delivery in those public services, most notably in health, where hospital waiting lists remain far higher than in England. In a speech given in Swansea to the National Centre for Public Policy in November 2002, Morgan stated his opposition to foundation hospitals (a UK Labour proposal), and referred to the "clear red water" separating policies in Wales and in Westminster. Swansea (Welsh: Abertawe, mouth of the Tawe) is a city and county in South Wales, situated on the coast immediately to the east of the Gower Peninsula. ...

On 1 May 2003, Labour under Morgan's leadership was re-elected in the Assembly elections. Morgan managed to win enough seats to form a Labour-only administration (the election was held under proportional representation, and Labour won 30 of the 60 seats in the Assembly and the overall majority was achieved when Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM was elected Presiding Officer of the Assembly) and named his cabinet on May 9. In that election Labour easily took back all of the former strongholds they lost to Plaid Cymru at the height of Alun Michael's unpopularity in 1999. May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Proportional representation, also known as full representation, is an electoral system in which the overall votes are reflected in the overall outcome of the body or bodies of representatives. ... Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Baron Elis-Thomas of Nant Conwy, AM, is a UK politician from Wales. ... May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ... Plaid, in full Plaid Cymru (pronounced IPA: ) – The Party of Wales, is the principal nationalist political party in Wales. ...

Rhodri Morgan's pastimes include reading and leisurely driving around the Cardiff Bay area meeting his constituents. His wife, Julie, is the Labour MP for Cardiff North. Julie Morgan MP Julie Morgan (November 2, 1944 -) is a Labour politician in Wales. ... Cardiff North (Gogledd Caerdydd in Welsh) is an electoral constituency represented in the UK Parliaments House of Commons and the National Assembly for Wales. ...

Stefan Terlezki CBE (October 29, 1927 – February 21, 2006) was a British Conservative politican who served as MP for Cardiff West from 1983 to 1987. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... Cardiff West (Gorllewin Caerdydd in Welsh) is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Kevin Denis Brennan (born 16 October 1959) is a British politician. ... The Right Honourable Alun Edward Michael (born August 2, 1943) is a Welsh politician. ... The First Minister of Wales is the leader of Wales and of the Welsh Assembly Government, Waless devolved administration. ...

References

• "Morgan made privy councillor", BBC, 24 July, 2000.