(Title Image: via Senedd TV)
In a shock announcement last week, Education Minister, Kirsty Williams (Lib Dem, Brecon & Radnor), said she will stand down at next year’s Senedd election.
Kirsty Williams is one of the few remaining intake of the First Senedd in 1999 and has held the Brecon & Radnor constituency with large majorities ever since.
She served as leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats from 2008-2016 but following a series of major electoral blows for the party, she finds herself as one of the few senior Lib Dem politicians anywhere in the UK.
As Education Minister, she’s overseen a major reform of student finance and the introduction of a new national curriculum. However, she was forced into a humiliating u-turn in the summer over a controversial algorithm used to decide the grades for students whose exams were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Education Minister said: “There is, of course, sadness in making this decision, but also with a sense of achievement and pride. I am looking forward to spending more time with my family and I remain committed to my role in Brecon and Radnorshire and look forward to continuing to campaign with my successor to ensure Brecon and Radnorshire returns a Welsh Liberal Democrat voice.”
