Rebecca Mary Evans (born 2 August 1976) is a

Welsh Labour Welsh Labour ( cy, Llafur Cymru) is the branch of the United Kingdom Labour Party in Wales and the largest party in modern Welsh politics. Welsh Labour and its forebears won a plurality of the Welsh vote at every UK general election since 192 ...

and Co-operative politician, serving as Minister for Finance since 2018 and Minister for Local Government since 2021. She has served as the Member of the Senedd (MS) for

Gower Gower ( cy, Gŵyr) or the Gower Peninsula () in southwest Wales, projects towards the Bristol Channel. It is the most westerly part of the historic county of Glamorgan. In 1956, the majority of Gower became the first area in the United Kingdom ...

since 2016,Rebecca Evans AM
National Assembly for Wales. Retrieved 2017-03-30. and a Member for Mid and West Wales from 2011 to 2016. Evans has previously served in the

Welsh Government , image = , caption = , date_established = , country = Wales , address = , leader_title = First Minister () , appointed = First Minister approved by the Senedd, ceremonially appointed ...

as the Deputy Minister for Farming and Food (2014–16), Minister for Social Care and Public Health (2016–17) and Minister for Housing and Regeneration (2017–18). She was Trefnydd (Leader) of the Senedd from 2018 to 2021.

Early life and career

Evans obtained a BA degree in history at the

University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...

, and an MPhil in Historical Studies at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. She worked as Policy and Public Affairs Officer for a national charity representing disabled people and their families. Evans is also a former Welsh Labour Organiser for Mid and West Wales, and a former Senior Researcher and Communications Officer for an Assembly Member.

Member of the Senedd

Evans was elected in 2011 as one of four regional MSs representing Mid and West Wales in the Senedd. At the 2016 election, she was elected as the member for the

Constituency. Between her election in 2011 and her promotion to ministerial office, Evans served on the National Assembly for Wales’ Environment and Sustainable Development Committee and its Common Agricultural Policy Task and Finish Group, the Heath and Social Care Committee, and the Children, Young People and Education Committee. She has also served as chair of the Cross-party group on Nursing and midwifery, the cross-party group on mental health and was the co-chair of the cross-party group on disability.

Ministerial career

On 8 July 2014, Evans joined the Welsh Government as the Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, in a minor reshuffle following the sacking of Alun Davies. The office was renamed to Deputy Minister for Farming and Food in September 2014. Following the 2016 Senedd election, she was appointed to the new role of Minister for Social Care and Public Health. She moved to another new role as Minister for Housing and Regeneration in a reshuffle on 3 November 2017. In December 2018, Evans joined Mark Drakeford's first Cabinet as the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd (Leader) of the Senedd. Evans introduced and was the government minister responsible for the Welsh Tax Acts etc. (Power to Modify) Act 2022 which allowed the Welsh government to amend tax law using statutory instruments.

References

External links

*
Official websiteRebecca Evans MS
on the Welsh Government website. {{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Rebecca 1976 births Living people People from Bridgend Alumni of the University of Leeds Alumni of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Welsh Labour members of the Senedd Wales AMs 2011–2016 Wales MSs 2016–2021 Wales MSs 2021–2026 Ministers for Finance of Wales Female finance ministers