Everything you need to know about Julie Morgan

Julie Morgan is Cardiff raised and educated. She was born in the city and educated at Dinas Powys Primary School and Howell's School in Cardiff. She studied at King's College, London, gaining a BA in English in 1965. She also studied at Manchester University and gained a postgraduate diploma in Social Administration (CQSW) from Cardiff University.

Before Julie became an MP she was a social worker with Barry Social Services, and an assistant director of Barnardo's. She was a South Glamorgan Councillor from 1985 to 1997 and a Cardiff Councillor from 1995.

In 1997 Julie was elected Labour MP for Cardiff North, one of only 13 women ever to have been Welsh MPs at the time (read Julie's views on all-women shortlists) and served as MP for 13 years until she narrowly lost the seat by a tiny margin of 194 votes in 2010.

Julie in the Senedd and her Welsh Government role

Julie was re-elected to the Sixth Senedd as Member of the Senedd for Cardiff North on May 6, 2021.

Cardiff North again had the highest turnout in Wales (58.8%) and Julie had the highest number of votes cast for any Member of the Senedd (19,348). Her majority is now 6,593.

Julie was first elected as Assembly Member for Cardiff North in 2011 (since May 2020 she is known as Member of the Senedd).

She was re-elected in 2016 when she more than doubled her majority (to 3,667) winning 16,766 votes, the highest number of votes cast for any AM in Wales. Turnout was also one of the highest in Wales, at 56.81%.

Cabinet role for Julie Morgan in the Sixth Senedd

Julie is honoured to have been asked once again to serve in the Welsh Government.

She was first appointed to the Cabinet in December 2018 as Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services. In May 2021 she became Deputy Minister for Social Services.

Julie in the Senedd 2016 to 2021

In the Fifth Assembly (2016-2021) Julie served on the Children's Committee and the Health and Social Care Committee and chaired Cross Party Groups on Children, Haemophila and Contaminated Blood, the PCS union and Gypsies & Travellers.

In her role as chair of the CPG on Haemophilia and Contaminated Blood, Julie campaigned for a Public Inquiry into the Contaminated Blood Scandal, raising the issue in numerous questions and debates in the Assembly (prior to that she also raised the issue as an MP). A Public Inquiry was finally agreed in July 2017.

In December 2018 Julie was appointed to the Welsh Government and she is now the Deputy Minister for Social Services .

As Deputy Minister Julie brought forward legislation to remove the defence of reasonable punishment, to make sure that children in Wales have the same levels of protection against physical punishment in the law as adults do. This is an issue which she had long campaigned on as a backbencher.

In a landmark vote held in the Senedd on January 28, 2020, Assembly Members voted 36 to 14 to approve the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill and Wales became the latest country to join 58 nations around the world to end the physical punishment of children.

Julie in the Senedd from 2011 to 2016

In the 2011-2016 Assembly Julie served on the Finance, Environment and Public Accounts committees and chaired seven Cross-Party Groups (Cancer, Children, Gypsies and Travellers, Haemophilia and Contaminated Blood, Justice Unions, Nursing and Midwifery, PCS).

Julie's time in the House of Commons

As MP for Cardiff North Julie Morgan was a member of the Justice, Welsh Affairs, and Public Administration Select Committees and of the Parliamentary Labour Party's Women's Group.

She was chair of groups including the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Children in Wales, working with children’s voluntary groups across Wales, the APPG for Gypsy and Traveller Law Reform, and the APPG for Sex Equality (working with the Equality and Human Rights Commission). She was also co-chair of the APPG on Global TB.

Julie presented three Private Member's Bills -- one on banning smoking in public places, one on granting votes at 16, and one on preventing under-18s from using sunbeds which became law in 2010.

Organisations, causes and charities Julie supports

Julie Morgan is a member of the Unite union and was a founder member of the Welsh Refugee Council. She was also a founder member of the Women's Arts Association. She is a patron of Cardiff charity Touch Trust, Advocacy Matters, Pontyclun Bosom Pals, and Women Seeking Sanctuary Advocacy Group Wales.

Julie is a trustee of Life for African Mothers, which was started by a Cardiff nurse and works to reduce the maternal mortality rates in sub-Saharan and eastern Africa. Closer to home she is vice president of Cardiff's City Hospice. She is an affiliate member of the Wales Observatory on Human Rights of Children and Young People at Swansea University .