Julie Morgan

Julie Morgan MS
Official portrait, 2019
Deputy Minister for Social Services
In office 14 December 2018 – 20 March 2024
First Minister	Mark Drakeford
Preceded by	Huw Irranca-Davies
Succeeded by	Dawn Bowden
Member of the Senedd forCardiff North
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 May 2011
Preceded by	Jonathan Morgan
Majority	6,593 (16.2%)
Member of Parliament forCardiff North
In office 1 May 1997 – 12 April 2010
Preceded by	Gwilym Jones
Succeeded by	Jonathan Evans
Personal details
Born	Julie Edwards (1944-11-02)2 November 1944 Cardiff,Glamorgan,Wales
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Rhodri Morgan ​ ​ (m.1967; died 2017)​
Children	3
Alma mater	King's College London, Cardiff University

Julie Morgan(néeEdwards;2 November 1944) is aWelsh Labour Partypolitician, who has been aMember of the SeneddforCardiff Northseat in theSeneddsince the2011 election.She was previouslyMember of Parliament(MP) forCardiff Northfrom1997until2010.

She was married to formerFirst Minister of WalesRhodri Morganuntil his death in 2017.

Early life, education and career

Julie Edwardswas born inCardiffin 1944. She was educated at Dinas Powys Primary School andHowell's School Llandaff.She then attendedKing's College Londonwhere she graduated with a BA in English in 1965. Just as her first term at university was about to begin, a general election was called, and she returned to Cardiff to campaign forJim Callaghanin the seat which was thenCardiff South East.

Despite Callaghan's protestations that she should go back to university, she campaigned for his victory alongsideNeil Kinnock(the future leader of the Labour party),Glenys KinnockandRhodri Morgan,whom she would marry in 1967. Following her undergraduate degree, Morgan studied at theUniversity of Manchester.She also holds a postgraduate diploma in Social Administration fromUniversity College, Cardiff.

Before becoming a Member of Parliament, Morgan was asocial workerwithBarry Social Services,and served as an assistant director ofBarnardo's.She was elected as a local councillor toSouth Glamorgan County Councilbetween 1985 and 1996,and was a Cardiff City Councillor from 1995.

Member of Parliament (1997–⁠2010)

Morgan was selected byCardiff NorthLabour Party as their candidate for the1992 general election.She stood againstGwilym Jonesin the constituency, historically aConservativestronghold. She achieved a 38.9% share of the vote to Jones' 45.1%, cutting his majority to 2,969.

Morgan was selected to stand for the seat once again in the1997 election,though this time through anall-women shortlist.She took the seat with 24,460 votes—a 50.4% share and a majority of 8,126 on a marginally lower turnout than in 1992. She became the first woman to represent a Cardiff constituency and, at the time of her election, was one of only four women MPs from Wales. Morgan made hermaiden speechin Parliament on 22 May 1997 in the debate on the Referendums (Scotland and Wales) Bill, designed to pave the way fordevolution.She subsequently joined theWelsh AffairsSelect committee,on which she served until 2005.

Morgan was re-elected at the2001 general electionwith a reduced majority of 6,165 and on a substantially reduced turnout (in common with the rest of the country). At the2005 election,her seat became the most marginal in Wales as her Conservative challenger reduced her majority to 1,146.

Commentators ascribed her victory to a strong personal vote, decisive in a campaign dominated by issues such as theIraq War,criticism ofTony Blairand a leap incouncil taxcaused by periodic revaluation of property values. Upon her re-election, she was appointed to the Constitutional AffairsandPublic AdministrationSelect Committees. Between 16 December 2009 and 12 March 2010, she steered the Sunbeds (Regulation) Bill (a private members' bill) through the House of Commons. The bill passed to theHouse of Lordsfor consideration.

In the2010 election,Morgan polled 17,666 votes to ConservativeJonathan Evans' 17,860 votes, losing by 194 votes.Evans had previously been an MP between 1992 and 1997.

Senedd

Morgan was elected to the seat of Cardiff North in theSenedd,in the 2011 election. She was re-elected in 2016, and again in 2021.

In 2016, she unsuccessfully stood for chair of the Senedd's Children, Young People and Education Committee.

Morgan stood for deputy leader in the2018 Welsh Labour deputy leadership election,ultimately losing toCarolyn Harrisdespite winning more members' votes.Later that year, she supportedMark Drakefordin hisleadership election.Following Drakeford's appointment as First Minister, she was appointedDeputy Minister for Health and Social Servicesin the Welsh Government.

Views

During her second term, she opposed variabletuition feesfor university students, citing fears that it would open up amarketinhigher education.She alsoopposed the war in Iraqand led a demonstration of "Labour Women Against War" inCardiff city centre.Nevertheless, her voting record is supportive of theLabour Government,until it proposes a measure she cannot reconcile with her fundamental beliefs—such as the equal treatment of children, for instance in theasylumsystem, or in respect of protection fromviolence.

Morgan has been involved in the field ofwomen's rights(having heavily promoted the introduction of all-women shortlists for political parties), as well as the welfare ofchildren,black andminorityethnic anddisabledpeople. She was one of the founders of thePurple Plaquesscheme of public markers for remarkable women who lived in Wales.She is the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Children in Wales and is a member of numerous other APPGs, including those on Sex Equality and Compassion in Dying. Within theParliamentary Labour Party,she is an active member of the Women's Group.

As her husband was, she is a Distinguished Supporter ofHumanists UK.She supports lowering thevoting ageto 16 and to that end has presented a bill to Parliament.

External links

• Julie Morgan MPWelsh Labour Party profile
• Contributions in ParliamentatHansard 1803–2005
• Voting recordatPublic Whip
• Record in ParliamentatTheyWorkForYou