Ken Skates

Following his re-election as MS for Clwyd South in the May 2016 Senedd elections, Ken Skates was promoted to Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Infrastructure and Skills in the Welsh Government.

In June 2013, Skates was appointed by Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones as Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology. In a reshuffle in September 2014 he was made Deputy Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport in September 2014, replacing John Griffiths.

In 2012 he was one of four MSs to stand up in the Senedd chamber to talk about their experiences with mental health problems.

Whilst working as a freelance journalist, Skates began working as office manager for Mark Tami, Welsh Labour MP for Alyn and Deeside. Skates was the lead Labour candidate for the North Wales regional seat in 2007 but wasn't elected. In 2011 he stood and was elected with 42% of the vote in Clwyd South, and was successfully re-elected in 2016.

Kenneth Christian Skates MS (born 2 April 1976) is a Welsh Labour politician, who has represented the constituency of Clwyd South in the Senedd Cymru since the election of 2011. He is an alumnus of the University of Cambridge, and worked as a journalist prior to becoming a politician. In September 2014 he became the deputy minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport. Since May 2016 he has been the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Infrastructure and Skills in the Welsh Government.