Preceded by New Assembly Role Politician Succeeded by Angela Burns Education Cardiff University | Political party Labour Party Welsh Labour Name Christine Gwyther | |
Christine Gwyther (born 1959) is a Welsh Labour politician. She held the Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire constituency seat in the National Assembly for Wales from 1999-2007. She failed to retain her seat in the 2007 Welsh Assembly Elections, losing to Conservative candidate Angela Burns; she lost again in the 2011 election to Angela Burns 2011 elections.
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Background
Gwyther was born in Pembroke Dock. Before going into politics, she worked as a Pembrokeshire County Council Development Officer.
Political career
During the first term of the Assembly, Gwyther was the Minister of Agriculture under the leadership of Alun Michael. She is a vegetarian and as a result was criticised by farmers and opposition parties, as Wales and the UK were suffering from a beef crisis. She was censured over her failure to deliver on a promised calf-processing scheme.
In 2000, on the eve of the Royal Welsh Show, she was dismissed from her post as Welsh agriculture minister by First Minister, Rhodri Morgan.
In 2008 she sought election to the Pembrokeshire County Council but was defeated by Brian Hall.
She was one of two candidates to be nominated for the 2012 Police and Crime Commissioner for the Dyfed Powys Police region, losing to the Conservative Christopher Salmon.