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Biography
Huw Lewis (born 17 January 1964) is aWelsh Labour Co-operative politician. Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, Lewis represented the Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency in the National Assembly for Wales from 1999 to 2016.
Early life
Born in Merthyr Tydfil and brought up in Aberfan, he attended the University of Edinburgh. Active in the local Scottish Labour Party, he worked for both Labour Party leader John Smith and later Donald Dewar. Lewis campaigned for a Scottish Assembly alongside Edinburgh Labour Club colleagues Douglas and Wendy Alexander, and Pat McFadden.
Returning to South Wales, Lewis worked briefly as a chemistry teacher at Afon Taf High School, before working full-time for the Labour Party.
Political career
Elected to the position of Assistant General Secretary of Welsh Labour, he organised the campaign for the Labour "Yes" Vote campaign in 1997, that lead to the creation of the Welsh National Assembly.
Elected to the National Assembly for Wales in 1999 as a Labour and Co-operative Party candidate to represent Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney. He has been party Whip in the Assembly, a post he resigned following the resignation of Alun Michael as First Secretary. He has also been Deputy Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning in October 2000, a post he resigned following the use of a landfill site in Trecatti, within his constituency, for the disposal of carcasses during the foot and mouth crisis (16 April 2001).
He was re-elected in 2003 and was appointed Deputy Minister for Social Justice and Regeneration in May 2003. In the Third Assembly he was appointed Deputy Minister for the Economy and Transport on 31 May 2007 but announced to the media that due to his private opposition to One Wales coalition deal with Plaid Cymru he had been sacked on 18 July 2007. On 26 June 2013 in light of the resignation of Leighton Andrews, Lewis was appointed Minister for Education and Skills. Not being a Welsh language speaker, that brief was returned to First Minister Carwyn Jones.
In January 2016, Lewis announced that he would leave the Assembly at the election in May of that year.
Personal life
Lewis is married to his second wife Lynne Neagle, the Labour Assembly member for Torfaen and they have a son.
Offices held
| National Assembly for Wales | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by (new post) | Assembly Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney 1999–2016 | Succeeded by Dawn Bowden |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by (new post) | Deputy Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning 2000 - 2003 | Succeeded by (post reorganised) |
| Preceded by (new post) | Deputy Minister for Social Justice and Regeneration 2005 - 2007 | Succeeded by (post reorganised) |
| Preceded by Brian Gibbons | Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport 2007 | Succeeded by (post reorganised) |
| Preceded by (new post) | Deputy Minister for Children 2009 - 2011 | Succeeded by Leighton Andrews |
| Preceded by (new post) | Minister for Housing, Regeneration & Heritage 2011 - 2013 | Succeeded by (post reorganised) |
| Preceded by Leighton Andrews | Minister for Education and Skills 2013 - 2016 | Succeeded by Kirsty Williams |
