Profile of Huw Lewis

Left Foot Forward

Profile of Huw Lewis

In the second in a series looking at those aiming to be elected as the next leader of Welsh Labour Party, Left Foot Forward profiles Huw Lewis, Assembly Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, and the only backbencher to stand.

Born in the town of Aberfan, Lewis often describes the impact the tragic mining accident in the town has had on him. Following a period teaching Chemistry, Lewis went on to assume the position of Assistant General Secretary of Welsh Labour in 1994, leading the campaign for a “yes” vote when voters were given the chance to vote for a devolved assembly.

In the Assembly, Mr Lewis has held a number of ministerial posts, including Deputy Education Minister and Deputy Minister for Social Justice. In 2007 he lost his job as Minister for Regeneration when Labour entered into a coalition with Plaid Cymru.

Launching his manifesto in Newport, he takes a somewhat more radical approach to his campaign, concluding that Labour faces a crisis comparable with 1979 as it has “lost touch with too many people we were elected to represent”.

Specifically, his manifesto commits to:

• Establishing a new Welsh Opportunities Fund for deprived children.

• Build on the economic summits, by establishing new social partnerships between Government, business and trade unions.

• Find cross party agreement for an accord to tackle climate change in Wales.

• Step up the pace in building new, affordable, better homes, using co-operative and mutual housing models to get them built.

• Produce a new manufacturing strategy, recognising the importance of research and development and a shift to a low carbon economy.

• Establish a comprehensive bus franchising scheme to ensure everyone in Wales can access decent public transport.

• Take swift action to address funding inequalities between schools.

• Improve the democratic accountability of universities and colleges, with a greater voice for staff and students.

• Establish a Welsh Career Ladder Scheme to “reconnect aspiration with realisation”.

• Improve access to training for working age adults.

• Set up a new commission on how to measure rural poverty and boost efforts to improve the economic prospects of rural areas.

• Renew efforts to improve outcomes for NHS patients and end hidden waits in the health service.

• Study the possibility of financial incentives for micro and small scale generation.

• Establish a child poverty unit to drive policy in this area and raise the profile of credit unions.

• Improve access for all to the Welsh language.

• Strengthen Welsh Labour by strengthening the voice and role of grassroots members and providing MPs and other elected representatives with a greater role in policy making.

Mr Lewis currently enjoys the support of a number of Labour organisations and MPs, including the Co-Operative Party and the former Labour First Minister and Cardiff South and Penarth MP, Alun Michael.

See www.huwlewis.org.uk for more

Next week Left Foot Forward will publish details of Carwyn Jones’s campaign.

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4 Responses to “Profile of Huw Lewis”

  1. Anne Greagsby

    Huw Lewis..has a nerve to talk about ‘clear leadership from government’, ‘localised environmental solutions’. He represents Merthyr Tydfil!!! And THE biggest failure has been his and his governments approval of the Ffos-y-Fran opencast coal mine just 35 metres from homes in Merthyr Tydfil. Evidence obtained by local residents under the Freedom of Information Act indicates that on this issue Rhodri gave in to pressure from his Westminster colleagues?
    See THE RESIDENTS AGAINST FFOS-Y-FRAN OPENCAST MINE HOME PAGE who are less than impressed with his environmental credentials!
    As for recyling, whoops falils again there..
    Can’t trust New labour on the environment or on Wales!
    Scotland aims for 70% real cycling, 25% cap on incineration;
    Wales aims for 63% real recycling, 37% cap on incineration.

    Is there no labour politican who lives in the real world…in Wales and cantell it like it is…way too much spin…greenwash and downright lies!

    Scotland aims for 70% real cycling, 25% cap on incineration;
    Wales aims for 63% real recycling, 37% cap on incineration.
    Assembly politicians should be ashamed of what WAG is foisting on Wales
    in the guise of ‘ambitious recycling’. Worrying promotion of
    incineration WAG Approval of the business case and subsidy for Prosiect
    Gwyrdd, 27 Jan. 2009: New funding boost for next generation
    energy-from-waste plant in south Wales The Minister depicted Prosiect
    Gwyrdd as “producing much needed energy” that would “use waste in the
    best possible way”, despite the consortium claiming their Business case
    for procuring a ‘solution’ for residual waste is technology-neutral
    (www.prosiectgwyrdd.gov.uk)

  2. Anthony Hunt

    Huw deserves real credit for leading the way in the campaign by talking about new ideas, policies and a real vision for the future of our party and country. Anyway, enough from me as I’ve made my mind up, but take a look at his manifesto on http://www.lewis4labour.com and make your own mind up.

  3. Wales tops league on Child Poverty | Left Foot Forward

    […] rivals in the campaign, Huw Lewis, who now holds the post of Deputy Minister for Children, pledged to establish a Child Poverty Unit to help drive forward policy to combat child […]

  4. Felix Staratschek

    Hallo!

    Greatings from Germany! I have made an informationpage about an german recycling- and waste- management- idea for plastics and e- waste in german and english language (kryo- recycling). Pleace spread this infomation to all persons, you know, that many people get knowkedge about this idea and good alternatives to incineration.

    If you and others have some more or new information, pleace send the information to my adress. .

    Here is the link to my informationpage:
    http://sites.google.com/site/kryorecycling

    With best Greatings, Felix Staratschek, Freiligrathstr. 2, D- 42477 Radevormwald

Comments are closed.