Elin Jones
Welsh Finance Minister; long-serving Plaid Cymru MS for Ceredigion, former Llywydd of the Senedd.
Last refreshed: 14 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
With a minority government and tight finances, can Wales's most experienced politician hold the budget together?
Timeline for Elin Jones
Mentioned in: Plaid takes Cardiff after 27 years
UK Local Elections 2026- Who is Elin Jones the Welsh politician?
- Elin Jones is the Plaid Cymru Finance Minister in Rhun ap Iorwerth's Welsh government, appointed May 2026. She is the longest-serving Plaid MS, representing Ceredigion since 1999, and served as Presiding Officer of the Senedd from 2016 to 2026.Source: Welsh Government
- What did Elin Jones do as Llywydd of the Senedd?
- As Llywydd (Presiding Officer) from 2016 to 2026, Jones oversaw the expansion of the Senedd from 60 to 96 members under the 2024 Senedd Cymru Act and chaired its proceedings through Brexit, the pandemic, and two Welsh government transitions.Source: Senedd
- How does the Welsh Finance Minister control the budget?
- The Welsh Finance Minister manages the block grant from Westminster, sets the Welsh Government's budget allocations, and uses the Welsh Government's limited borrowing powers. Elin Jones must negotiate her budgets through a minority Senedd without a majority.Source: Welsh Government
Background
Elin Jones was appointed Cabinet Minister for Finance in Rhun ap Iorwerth's Plaid Cymru government on 13 May 2026, returning to cabinet after serving as Llywydd (Presiding Officer) of the Senedd from 2016 to 2026. Her appointment brings direct institutional knowledge of the Senedd's procedures to the cabinet table at a moment when Plaid governs without a majority and must negotiate every budget through the chamber.
Jones is the longest-serving Plaid Cymru MS, having represented Ceredigion since 1999 — the very first Senedd election. She served as Minister for Rural Affairs in Rhodri Morgan's Labour-Plaid Coalition from 2007 to 2011 and is the only member of the current cabinet with prior executive government experience. As Llywydd she was the most senior official in the Senedd and oversaw the expansion of the chamber from 60 to 96 seats under the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024.
Her Finance brief places her in charge of the Welsh block grant and the Welsh Government's borrowing powers, the primary lever by which a minority Plaid government can differentiate itself from Westminster austerity without a majority mandate.
