This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-29170653
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Wales' cabinet reshuffle 'shell-shocked' Jeff Cuthbert | Wales' cabinet reshuffle 'shell-shocked' Jeff Cuthbert |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| One of the ministers dropped from the Welsh cabinet has said he was "shell-shocked" to lose his job in Carwyn Jones's reshuffle. | One of the ministers dropped from the Welsh cabinet has said he was "shell-shocked" to lose his job in Carwyn Jones's reshuffle. |
| Jeff Cuthbert, who was minister for communities and tackling poverty, has been replaced by Lesley Griffiths. | Jeff Cuthbert, who was minister for communities and tackling poverty, has been replaced by Lesley Griffiths. |
| The Caerphilly AM told BBC Radio Wales he had secretly told Mr Jones he was likely to step down from the assembly at the next election. | The Caerphilly AM told BBC Radio Wales he had secretly told Mr Jones he was likely to step down from the assembly at the next election. |
| He said it was "easy to clear my desk, very difficult to clear the mind". | |
| The surprise reshuffle brought Leighton Andrews back into government 15 months after he resigned as education minister, in a new role as Public Services Minister aimed at driving local government reforms. | |
| Mr Cuthbert said he was "a little shell-shocked yesterday but these things, you don't get much notice of them. | |
| "I didn't know exactly what was going to be said, but I knew that Carwyn was obviously thinking of the team that he wanted to go into the next election and beyond. | |
| "I had already told him - and him alone - that I intended, or was very likely, to step down because I'll be almost 68 at the next election and wasn't sure I wanted to commit until I was almost 73. So it wasn't that surprising." | |
| 'Robust character' | |
| On being asked if he felt his any of his work as a cabinet minister had been left unfinished, Mr Cuthbert said it was "easy enough for me to clear my desk, very difficult to clear your mind" . | |
| He said he had confidence that the first minister had picked the right team to take Labour into the next election and beyond, pointing out that he had served as a junior minister under the returning Mr Andrews. | |
| "He's a robust character certainly and he'll want to get things done sooner rather than later," he said. | |
| John Griffiths was also dropped from the cabinet, with his culture and sport brief to be handled by Ken Skates as a deputy minister. |