Welsh Labour politician, MS for Cynon Valley
Vikki Howells is a Welsh Labour and Co-operative politician and former teacher. Since May 2016, she has been the Member of the Senedd for Cynon Valley.
Background and personal life
Howells was brought up in Cwmbach, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.[1] She was educated at St John the Baptist School, a Church in Wales secondary school in Aberdare.[2] She studied International and Welsh history at the University of Wales, Cardiff, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree.[2] She remained at Cardiff to undertake postgraduate study in Modern Welsh History, and graduated with a Master of Arts degree.[2]
Her partner is Hefin David, MS for the neighbouring Caerphilly constituency.[3]
Career
Teaching career
Before her election to the Senedd, Howells was a history teacher and the assistant head of sixth form at St Cenydd Comprehensive School in Caerphilly, South Wales.
Political career
Howells has been a Member of the Labour Party since she was 17.[2] In December 2015, it was announced that Howells had been selected as the Welsh Labour candidate for the Cynon Valley constituency of the Senedd.[4] On 5 May 2016, she was successfully elected as a Member of the Welsh Assembly, she received 9,830 votes (51.1% of the votes cast, and a majority of 5,994).[1]
She was re-elected as a Labour and Co-operative Party candidate[5] at the 2021 Senedd election with an increased majority of 7,468 votes.[6]
Howells supported Vaughan Gething in the 2018 and February–March 2024 Welsh Labour leadership elections.[7][8]
Howells chairs the Welsh Labour Group of MSs.[9] She is also president of the mental health charity Friends R Us and vice-president of Cwmbach Male Voice Choir.[9][3] Vikki is also a member of the Cynon Valley History Society, the social justice thinktank the Bevan Foundation, the Co-operative Party, the GMB and USDAW.[9][3]
Howells chairs the Senedd Standards of Conduct Committee.[10]
References