Christine Margery Gwyther (born 1959) 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 1922 ...

politician. She won the Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire constituency seat in the first

National Assembly for Wales The Senedd (; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English language, English and () in Welsh language, Welsh, is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, it makes ...

elections in1999 and held it until 2007. She lost her seat in the 2007 Welsh Assembly Elections, to

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

candidate

Angela Burns Angela Jane Burns is a British businesswoman and politician who was elected as Conservative AM for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire from 2007 to 2021. Background Burns was from an English family and brought up in several foreign coun ...

Background

Gwyther was born in

Pembroke Dock Pembroke Dock ( cy, Doc Penfro) is a town and a community in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales, northwest of Pembroke on the banks of the River Cleddau. Originally Paterchurch, a small fishing village, Pembroke Dock town expanded rapidly following ...

. Before going into politics, she worked as a

Pembrokeshire County Council Pembrokeshire County Council ( cy, Cyngor Sir Penfro) is the governing body for Pembrokeshire, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. Political control The first election to the council was held in 1995, initially operating as a shadow authorit ...

Development Officer.

Political career

During the first term of the Assembly, Gwyther was the Minister of Agriculture under the leadership of

Alun Michael Alun Edward Michael (born 22 August 1943) is a Welsh Labour politician serving as South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner since 2012. He served as Secretary of State for Wales from 1998 to 1999 and then as the first First Secretary of Wales ...

. She is a

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetarianism m ...

and as a result was criticised by some farmers and opposition parties. She introduced organic, dairy, red meat and diversification support, as well as a sustainable development scheme for Wales. In 2000, on the eve of the

Royal Welsh Show The Royal Welsh Show ( cy, Sioe Frenhinol Cymru) is organised by the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, which was formed in 1904. It takes place in July of each year, at Llanelwedd, near Builth Wells, in Powys, Mid Wales. The first show was hel ...

, she was dismissed from her post as Welsh agriculture minister by

First Minister A first minister is any of a variety of leaders of government cabinets. The term literally has the same meaning as "prime minister" but is typically chosen to distinguish the office-holder from a superior prime minister. Currently the title of '' ...

Rhodri Morgan Hywel Rhodri Morgan (29 September 1939 – 17 May 2017) was a Welsh Labour politician who was the First Minister of Wales and the Leader of Welsh Labour from 2000 to 2009. He was also the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011 and t ...

. For most of her years at the National Assembly Christine Gwyther chaired the Economic Development and Transport Committee. She was a founder member of the National Assembly Sustainable Energy Group. She was one of two candidates to be nominated for the 2012 Police and Crime Commissioner for the

Dyfed–Powys Police Dyfed–Powys Police ( cy, Heddlu Dyfed–Powys) is the territorial police force in Wales policing Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire (which make up the former administrative area of Dyfed) and the unitary authority of Powys (cover ...

region, losing to the Conservative Christopher Salmon.

References

External links

Assembly BioWelsh Labour Bio
1959 births Living people Wales AMs 1999–2003 Wales AMs 2003–2007 Welsh Labour members of the Senedd Members of the Welsh Assembly Government People from Pembroke Dock {{Wales-AM-stub