Jane Hutt - Political Career

Political Career

Hutt was a councillor on South Glamorgan County Council and a former vice-chair of the Social Services Committee. She unsuccessfully stood for election to the British Parliament in 1983 in Cardiff North.

Hutt was elected to the National Assembly for Wales in 1999 and immediately became Health Minister. She remained in post until January 2005 when she was removed from the position, following strong criticism over long hospital waiting lists. An independent report showed that even though waiting list time targets were higher than in England and Scotland, Hutt had still failed to meet them. As a result she faced criticism from all the major political parties in Wales, with the strongest coming from within her own party. As a result her position became untenable, as some became worried that the problems could even damage the case for further Welsh devolution.

She became Minister for Assembly Business and Chief Whip, with additional responsibility for Openness in Government; Communications Strategy; co-ordinating Government policy in relation to children; and Equality and Equality of Opportunity. In the first Cabinet of the Third Assembly she was appointed Minister for Budget and Assembly Business (31 May 2007). In the coalition Cabinet announced on 19 July 2007 she became Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills.

She is a close family friend of former first minister Rhodri Morgan