{"id":94955,"date":"2025-03-11T10:42:54","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T10:42:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/?p=94955"},"modified":"2025-03-11T15:09:18","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T15:09:18","slug":"power-shifts-the-pandemic-and-a-love-of-cheese-mark-drakeford-on-his-time-in-the-senedd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2025\/03\/11\/power-shifts-the-pandemic-and-a-love-of-cheese-mark-drakeford-on-his-time-in-the-senedd\/","title":{"rendered":"Power shifts, the pandemic, and a love of cheese: Mark Drakeford on his time in the Senedd"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The former First Minister discusses his political career and the future of the government in Wales&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><em>By Alice Collyer, Sam Riley and Hannah Walton-Hughes<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019M not interested in legacy,\u201d said Mark Drakeford when asked about his 30-year-political career.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When pushed however, Mr Drakeford said he was most proud of the change to organ donations in Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere are lives that have been saved and lives that have been changed as a result of that legislation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2015, Wales led the UK in changing the system, meaning that people had to opt out of organ donation instead of opting in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"797\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_8553-1-min-1024x797.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-94957\" style=\"width:538px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_8553-1-min-1024x797.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_8553-1-min-300x234.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_8553-1-min-770x599.jpeg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_8553-1-min-1536x1196.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_8553-1-min-2048x1594.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_8553-1-min-293x228.jpeg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_8553-1-min-1400x1090.jpeg 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"797\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_8553-1-min-1024x797.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-94957\" style=\"width:538px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_8553-1-min-1024x797.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_8553-1-min-300x234.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_8553-1-min-770x599.jpeg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_8553-1-min-1536x1196.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_8553-1-min-2048x1594.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_8553-1-min-293x228.jpeg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_8553-1-min-1400x1090.jpeg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Mark Drakeford meets students from Cardiff School of Journalism.<\/strong> Credit: Welsh Government Press Office<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt reflects that sense of a Welsh political culture, where we are interested in the welfare of others, as well as the interests of ourselves,\u201d said the former First Minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite his lengthy career, Mr Drakeford became a more prominent figure while leading Wales through the Covid pandemic as First Minister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mr Drakeford had a tense relationship with the UK Prime Minister at the time, Boris Johnson, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-politics-68546344\">once describing him<\/a> as an \u201cabsent\u201d football manager.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The current Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language has announced that he will be stepping down at the next Senedd election, one of over a quarter of Labour MSs to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"766\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_9596-1-min-1-1024x766.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-94958\" style=\"width:547px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_9596-1-min-1-1024x766.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_9596-1-min-1-300x224.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_9596-1-min-1-770x576.jpeg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_9596-1-min-1-1536x1149.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_9596-1-min-1-2048x1532.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_9596-1-min-1-293x219.jpeg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_9596-1-min-1-1400x1047.jpeg 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"766\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_9596-1-min-1-1024x766.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-94958\" style=\"width:547px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_9596-1-min-1-1024x766.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_9596-1-min-1-300x224.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_9596-1-min-1-770x576.jpeg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_9596-1-min-1-1536x1149.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_9596-1-min-1-2048x1532.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_9596-1-min-1-293x219.jpeg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/03\/IMG_9596-1-min-1-1400x1047.jpeg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Mark Drakeford is stepping down at the next Senedd election.<\/strong> Credit: Welsh Government Press Office<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Mr Drakeford did not want to make any predictions regarding the election, but acknowledged that the longer a government is in charge, the louder the calls for change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe longer you are in power, the more potent the time for a change slogan becomes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recent polls have indicated a potential end to Welsh Labour\u2019s 25-year streak in power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the number of older Welsh Labour politicians standing aside, Mr Drakeford said: \u201cThe Senedd will have that refresh that I think it needs. There is a generational shift going on here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe first 25 years have been about establishing the institution, creating that political culture, demonstrating to people in Wales that we are capable of taking our own destinies into our own hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd now it\u2019s the next generation of politicians who will be responsible for taking that forward. And I think that\u2019s a very exciting moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mr Drakeford\u2019s career has involved being an advisor to Rhodri Morgan (Welsh First Minister 2000-2009), serving as Health Secretary, and also introducing the controversial 20mph legislation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On top of all of this, many fondly remember his love of cheese, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/?v=330724394759728\">as expressed<\/a> during the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He joked that some people still, to this day, send him cheese.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The former First Minister discusses his political career and the future of the government in Wales<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1219,"featured_media":94956,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,176,3],"tags":[3405,4259,1698,588,9052],"coauthors":[8793],"class_list":["post-94955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-general","category-news","tag-first-minister","tag-mark-drakeford","tag-politics","tag-senedd","tag-welsh-parliament"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Power shifts, the pandemic, and a love of cheese: Mark Drakeford on his time in the Senedd - The Cardiffian<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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