Jayne Bryant is a Welsh Labour Party

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

serving as Cabinet Secretary for Housing and

Local Government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...

since July 2024. Since May 2016 she has represented Newport West in the

Senedd The Senedd ( ; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and () in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, Its role is to scrutinise the Welsh Government and legislate on devolve ...

Background

Bryant was born in the

Royal Gwent Hospital The Royal Gwent Hospital () is a local general hospital in the city of Newport. It is managed by the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. Since 2020, the hospital no longer has a full Emergency Department, and redirects those with a serious il ...

in Newport. She attended St Julian's Comprehensive School and completed her studies at

Keele University Keele University is a Public university#United Kingdom, public research university in Keele, approximately from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as the University College of North Staffordshire, it was granted uni ...

, graduating with a degree in History and Politics.

Political career

She contested the Wales European Parliament constituency as the second-place candidate on the Labour list in 2014, but was not elected. She was subsequently selected as the Labour candidate for Newport West for the

2016 National Assembly for Wales election The 2016 National Assembly for Wales election was held on Thursday 5 May 2016, to elect members (AMs) of the National Assembly for Wales, now known as the Senedd (Welsh Parliament; ). It was the fifth election for the National Assembly, the thir ...

and was re-elected in at the

2021 Senedd election The 2021 Senedd election took place on Thursday 6 May 2021 to elect 60 members to the Senedd (Welsh Parliament; ). It was the sixth Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved general election since the Senedd (formerly the National Assembly for ...

. She chaired the Senedd's Standards of Conduct committee from 2016 to 2021. In 2017 she was one of the founders of the

Purple Plaques The Purple Plaques () scheme in Wales, UK aims to install plaques on buildings to increase recognition of the lives of women who have had a significant and long-lasting impact associated with Wales. The scheme was initiated by several members of ...

scheme of public markers for remarkable women who lived in Wales. Bryant supported

Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford (born 19 September 1954) is a Welsh politician who has served as Cabinet Secretary for Finance since September 2024, having previously held the position from 2016 to 2018. He previously served as First Minister of Wales and L ...

in the 2018 Welsh Labour leadership election. In December 2023, Jayne became the Co-Chair of

Vaughan Gething Humphrey Vaughan ap David Gething (born 15 March 1974) is a Welsh Labour Co-op politician who served as First Minister of Wales from March to August 2024, and served as leader of Welsh Labour from March to July 2024, making him the first blac ...

's Welsh Labour leadership campaign alongside Ken Skates MS. She was appointed Minister for Mental Health and Early Years in the Gething government on 21 May 2024. After Gething stood down on 17 July 2024, Bryant was promoted to the role of Cabinet Secretary for Housing,

and Planning, replacing Julie James, who had stood down to call for Gething's resignation. Under Gething's successor,

Eluned Morgan Mair Eluned Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Ely, (born 16 February 1967), is a Welsh politician who has served as First Minister of Wales and Leader of Welsh Labour since 2024. Morgan is the first woman, and first member of the House of Lords to ho ...

, as first minister, Bryant retained the role through August, but lost the planning portfolio in Morgan's September 2024 reshuffle.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant, Jayne Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Alumni of Keele University Welsh Labour members of the Senedd Female members of the Senedd Wales MSs 2016–2021 Wales MSs 2021–2026 People from Newport, Wales