Jeffrey Cuthbert

Jeffrey Hambley Cuthbert (born 4 June 1948) is a Welsh politician, who served as a Labour Party member of the National Assembly for Wales for Caerphilly from 2003 to 2016. He began his career in the mining industry and later worked for the Welsh Joint Education Committee (as it was then) as Head of the Asset to Industry Unit.

Jeff Cuthbert
Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner
Assumed office
5 May 2016
Preceded byIan Johnston
Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty
In office
26 June 2013 [1] – 11 September 2014 [2]
First MinisterCarwyn Jones
DeputyVaughan Gething
Preceded byHuw Lewis
Succeeded byLesley Griffiths
Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology
In office
14 March 2012 [3] – 26 June 2013 [4]
First MinisterCarwyn Jones
Preceded byHuw Lewis
Succeeded byLesley Griffiths
Member of the Welsh Assembly
for Caerphilly
In office
1 May 2003 – 6 April 2016
Preceded byRon Davies
Succeeded byHefin David
Personal details
Born (1948-06-04) 4 June 1948
Glasgow, Scotland
Political partyWelsh Labour[5]
Alma materUniversity College, Cardiff
OccupationTrade unionist
PortfolioDeputy Minister for Skills
WebsiteWelsh Labour

Cuthbert was born in Glasgow to a Welsh mother and Scottish father, but brought up in Cardiff, where he attended Whitchurch County Secondary Modern followed by studying mining engineering at University College, Cardiff. He joined the Labour Party in the mid-1960s. As a mining engineer he worked at Markham and Oakdale pits.

A member of the Militant group from the mid-60s to early-80s,[6][7] Cuthbert later became Chair of Caerphilly Constituency Labour Party. He left the mining industry to develop qualifications for Modern Apprenticeships with WJEC, and became a Corporate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. He was a governor of the Lewis School, Pengam, and served as principal of a part-time Adult Education Centre at Aberbargoed.

In the 2003 election to the National Assembly for Wales, Cuthbert was selected at the last minute to replace Ron Davies who had been involved in a second sex scandal and was forced to stand down; despite the party's negative tabloid publicity he increased the Labour majority in the Caerphilly constituency.

Cuthbert was appointed Chair of the Objective One Programme Monitoring Committee for Wales in 2004, and subsequently Chair of its All-Wales successor body in 2007. He is a Chair of the Assembly's Cross-Party Groups on Healthy Living and the Built Environment; and is co-Chair of the Cross-Party Group on Beer and the Pub. As an active trade unionist, he is co-ordinator of the UNITE Group of Labour Assembly Members. At the 2007 election he successfully defended his seat after Ron Davies, a long-time favourite of the pro-devolution Welsh media, challenged to regain it as an Independent candidate.

At the 2011 Welsh General Election, Cuthbert successfully defended his seat once again; more than doubling his majority and easily seeing off another challenge from Davies, who this time stood for Plaid Cymru amidst much media hype.

In March 2012 he was appointed Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology and was joined the Cabinet in June 2013 as Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty in the Welsh Government.[8][9]

In September 2014 he announced his decision to stand down as Caerphilly AM at the 2016 elections. Because of that, he also stood down from the Welsh Government Cabinet.[10]

In May 2016 Cuthbert was elected as Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner.[11]

References
  1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-23073832
  2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-29156951
  3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-21789790
  4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-29156951
  5. http://www.senedd.assemblywales.org/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=139
  6. Matthew Brown, "ILP@120: Growing Up in an ILP Household Archived 7 July 2013 at Archive.today", Independent Labour Publications website 27 February 2013
  7. Kevin Maguire, "Plunge in turnout undermines assembly status", The Guardian, 2 May 2003.
  8. National Assembly for Wales Website http://senedd.assemblywales.org/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=139
  9. http://www.caerphillyobserver.co.uk/news/888961/promotions-for-caerphilly-county-borough-ams/
  10. http://www.caerphillyobserver.co.uk/news/947228/caerphilly-am-jeff-cuthbert-to-stand-down-at-2016-assembly-election/

Offices held
Senedd Cymru
Preceded by
Ron Davies		 Assembly Member for Caerphilly
2003–2016		 Succeeded by
Hefin David
Political offices
Preceded by
Lesley Griffiths		 Deputy Minister for Skills
2011–2013		 Succeeded by
Ken Skates
Preceded by
new post		 Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty
2013–2016		 Succeeded by
post-reorganised
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