Rt Hon Elin Jones MS Cabinet Minister for Finance

• The Welsh Treasury
• The Welsh Revenue Authority
• Provision of strategic direction and management of the resources of the Welsh Government
• Taxation policy including Council Tax Reform, non-domestic rates, council tax reduction and the Sponsorship of the Valuation Office Agency services and the Valuation Tribunal for Wales
• Local Government finance policy including financial reform
• Visitor Levy
• Budget monitoring and management
• Strategic Investment
• Invest to Save
• Financial Accounting and audit
• In-year budget monitoring and management
• Operation and development of the devolved funding settlement and the Statement of Funding policy
• Relationship with HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs on all spending and tax matters
• Public Sector pay policy
• The strategic approach to the acquisition, maintenance and disposal of property and other assets
• Commercial and procurement matters for the Welsh public service
• Grants policy
• Co-ordination of work on the Common Frameworks
• Oversight of audit, inspection and regulation as they relate to public services

Main interests and achievements

Elin Jones has lived in Llanwnnen, Cardiff, Aberystwyth and now Aberaeron. She enjoys music and the arts. She has sung in various choirs and was a member of the close harmony group, Cwlwm, for many years. Elin Jones is also passionate about Welsh heritage and culture. She helped co-ordinate the Cranogwen statue at Llangrannog, the conservation of the Cofiwch Dryweryn wall and was part of the organizing Committee for the historic Welsh women's peace petition. Elin Jones was chair of the Ceredigion National Eisteddfod 2022.

Personal history

Elin Jones was born in 1966 and grew up on a farm in Llanwnnen, near Lampeter. She attended Llanwnnen Primary School and Lampeter Secondary School. After receiving a BSc in Economics from the University of Cardiff, she was awarded an MSc in Rural Economics from the University of Aberystwyth.

Professional background

Elin Jones worked as Economic Development Officer for the Development Board for Rural Wales, was a director at Radio Ceredigion and the television production company Wes Glei Ltd.

Elin Jones was a member of Aberystwyth Town Council from 1992 until 1999 and she was the youngest Mayor of Aberystwyth during the 1997-1998 term. Elin Jones was National Chair of Plaid Cymru between 2000 and 2002.

Political history

Elin Jones was elected to the Assembly in May 1999 and, in the first term of the Assembly, was Shadow Minister for Economic Development. Following the Assembly election in 2003, she retained this portfolio until 2006, when she became Shadow Minister for the Environment, Planning and Countryside. On 9 July 2007, the One Wales Government was formed and Elin Jones was appointed Minister for Rural Affairs. Two years later, Elin Jones won the Assembly Member of the Year award, and the Farming Weekly’s ‘UK Farming Champion’ award.

In 2016, Elin Jones was elected as Presiding Officer (Llywydd) of the National Assembly. In her role as Llywydd, Elin Jones has led on establishing a Youth Parliament for Wales, extending the voting franchise for Welsh elections to 16 and 17-year-olds, changed the name of the National Assembly to Senedd Cymru, and overseen Senedd reform. At the last Senedd election in 2021, Elin Jones was elected for a second term to the role of Llywydd of the Welsh Parliament.

On 13 May 2026 Elin Jones was appointed Cabinet Minister for Finance.