Welsh Government

Today marks a year since Eluned Morgan became First Minister of Wales.  

During this time, she has travelled across Wales to listen and to learn more about the things that matter most to you.

We invited her to reflect on her time in office so far and what she has achieved… 

A year ago, when I first became First Minister, I made a promise to listen, to learn, and to deliver on the things that matter most to you. 

In those first few months, I travelled to every part of Wales, to hear from as many of you as possible.  You told me what’s working, what’s not, and where change is needed most and you were absolutely clear – Wales needs action, not more words.  

And that’s what I’ve been doing – concentrating on four big things: health, jobs, homes and transport. 

And here’s a little look at some of the things we’ve achieved together over the past 12 months. 

Healthcare is the backbone of every community, so we’ve invested record sums into the NHS and it’s paying off. 

We’ve provided thousands more treatments and thousands more health workers across the NHS in Wales, getting people the care they need faster. 

People waiting over two years for treatment have fallen by 50% over the past year – which is a remarkable achievement and a testament to staff working in our NHS. 

We’re now putting Women’s Health first with £3 million for a new research centre and women’s health hubs coming to every health board by next spring. 

And we’ve led the way on social care, working with unions and employers to improve pay and conditions – because fairer care for staff means better care for everyone. 

We know a strong economy changes lives and we’ve helped create over 40,000 jobs this Senedd term, backing Welsh businesses and securing one of the biggest rises in inward investment anywhere in the United Kingdom. 

In North East Wales a £1 billion investment zone will drive economic growth and create 6,000 jobs in advanced manufacturing right across the country. 

Regeneration projects are transforming our town centres. 

We’re backing our creative industries, with extra money – three times more investment in venues than a decade ago. 

We also know that a decent home means security, dignity and a better life. We’ve unblocked land, backed new housing and protected over 4,600 homes and businesses from flooding. 

And we’ve delivered for families too. 

Every primary school pupil in Wales now gets a free school meal saving families over £800 a year, and we’ve put over a quarter of a billion pounds extra into schools to give every child the very best start. 

Wales is on the move. 

The £2 billion Heads of the Valleys road upgrade, the biggest infrastructure project since devolution began, is now complete – speeding up journeys and unlocking new investment. 

We’ve fix thousands of potholes all over the country with targeted investment and provided hundreds of millions more to make our roads safer. 

On rail, most journeys are now on brand new trains, most of them made in Wales, and we’re working with the UK Government to build five new stations. 

And we’ve also invested £110 million to improve local transport with better buses, safer routes to school, £1 bus fares for young people and more EV charging points. 

We’re building a modern, joined up system that works for everyone. 

This past year, I’ve stuck to the promise I made to listen, to learn, and to deliver. 

But we’re not done yet. 

This is just the start because there’s still more to do – more voices to hear and more communities to back. 

Together we can build a stronger, fairer and more connected Wales. 

Follow me on X, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky for updates.

Eluned Morgan, First Minister of Wales