The sole Liberal Democrat elected to the Welsh assembly, Kirsty Williams, has been appointed education secretary in a new-look Labour-led government.
Williams had led the Lib Dems in the assembly but suffered the bitter blow of seeing the party’s presence cut from five seats to one. However, she has now been invited by the first minister, Carwyn Jones, to join his minority administration in Cardiff.
It has been an interesting fortnight for Williams since election day. It was her vote in favour of Jones that stopped the leader of Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood, becoming first minister with backing from the Tories and Ukip.
Williams then found herself – and Wood – being branded “political concubines” by Ukip’s new leader in the assembly, the former Tory MP Neil Hamilton, after a deal was hatched between Labour and Plaid that allowed Jones to remain first minister.
Explaining his decision to appoint Williams as cabinet secretary for education, Jones said: “Kirsty has a wealth of experience and is one of the assembly’s most able politicians.”
He said the appointment did not mean Labour had formed a coalition with the Lib Dems. But he added: “This is a new era for Welsh politics, and today’s agreement reflects the need for Wales’s progressive politicians to work together.”
Labour won 29 of the 60 seats on the assembly – a better than expected performance but shy of an outright majority.
Williams said of her appointment: “Government in Wales has entered a new era. Where there is common ground, we must have the confidence and ambition to work together for the good of its people.”
The Tories attacked the appointment. Its leader in Wales, Andrew RT Davies, said: “That Kirsty Williams is now joining Labour’s magic roundabout, which she has spent the last five years railing against, is astounding and shows how elastic her principles really are.”
