{{Short description|Welsh Labour politician (born 1957)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}} {{Use British English|date=November 2012}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Leighton Andrews | honorific_suffix = | image = Leighton Andrews.jpg | alt = | caption = | office = Minister for Public Service | term_start = 11 September 2014 | term_end = 5 May 2016 | predecessor = ''Role Established'' | successor = ''Role Re-organised'' | office2 = [[Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills|Minister for Education and Skills]] | term_start2 = 10 December 2009 | term_end2 = 25 June 2013 | first_minister2 = [[Carwyn Jones]] | predecessor2 = [[Jane Hutt]] | successor2 = [[Huw Lewis]] | office3 = Member of the [[National Assembly for Wales]] for [[Rhondda (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Rhondda]] | majority3 = 6,739 (33.6%) | term_start3 = 1 May 2003 | term_end3 = 5 May 2016 | predecessor3 = [[Geraint Davies (Plaid Cymru politician)|Geraint Davies]] | successor3 = [[Leanne Wood]] | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|08|11|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Cardiff]], [[Wales]] | resting_place = | birth_name = | party = [[Independent politician|Independent]]<ref name="Leighton Andrews"/> | other_party = [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] (former)<br/>[[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]] (former) | spouse = Ann Beynon | relations = | children = 2 | alma_mater = [[Bangor University|University of Wales, Bangor]], [[University of Sussex]] | occupation = Professor, Cardiff University. | profession = | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = www.leightonandrews.live | footnotes = }} '''Leighton Andrews''' (born 11 August 1957) is a former [[Welsh Labour]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.assembly.wales/en/memhome/Pages/MemberProfile.aspx?mid=582|title=Member Profile|website=National Assembly for Wales|access-date=10 June 2017|archive-date=4 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180304113149/http://www.assembly.wales/en/memhome/Pages/MemberProfile.aspx?mid=582|url-status=live}}</ref> politician and academic,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/442109-former-minister-joins-cardiff-university|title=Former Minister joins Cardiff University|newspaper=News|access-date=15 October 2016|archive-date=21 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021005523/http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/442109-former-minister-joins-cardiff-university|url-status=live}}</ref> who was the [[National Assembly for Wales]] member for [[Rhondda (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Rhondda]] from 2003 to 2016. He was Education Minister from 2009 to 2013, before resigning after an alleged conflict between his own departmental policy and his active campaigning to save a school in his constituency.<ref name="BBC23056173">{{cite news |date=25 June 2013 |title=Education Minister Leighton Andrews resigns |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-23056173 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130626014628/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-23056173 |archive-date=26 June 2013 |access-date=25 June 2013 |publisher=[[BBC Wales]]}}</ref> He was the first Minister to be forced to resign in Wales. In September 2014 he returned to the government as Minister for Public Services, until the 2016 Senedd election, when he lost his seat to [[Leanne Wood]] of Plaid Cymru.
He left the Labour Party in 2019, attacking the party's failure to deal with anti-semitism and its attitude to Brexit under Jeremy Corbyn. He sought to rejoin in 2020, but was refused, after openly lending his support to the [[Green Party of England and Wales]] at the [[2019 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom|2019 European Parliament elections]].<ref name="Leighton Andrews" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />
==Background and education== Andrews was born in Cardiff, and brought up in [[Barry, Wales|Barry]] until the age of 11, when his family moved to [[Dorset]]. He holds a [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] Honours (English and [[History]]) from the [[University of Wales, Bangor]] and an MA in History from the [[University of Sussex]]. He was a sabbatical officer in the students union at Bangor in 1978. He was a visiting professor at the [[University of Westminster]] from 1997 to 2002 and has been an Honorary Professor at [[Cardiff University]] since 2004. He was appointed as Professor of Practice in Public Service Leadership and Innovation, [[Cardiff Business School]], in August 2016.<ref name=":4" />
Andrews is married to Ann Beynon, formerly BT Director Wales; the couple have two children.
==Political career== Andrews was an active [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]] member in the 1970s and 1980s. He was elected as a [[Union of Liberal Students]] member of the [[National Union of Students (United Kingdom)|National Union of Students]] (NUS) executive in 1979 and stood as the [[SDP–Liberal Alliance|Liberal Alliance]] candidate for [[Gillingham (UK Parliament constituency)|Gillingham]] in the [[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987 General Election]] at the age of 29. On returning to Wales to live in 1996 he was appointed to the board of ''Tai Cymru'' – Housing for Wales by the Conservative Secretary of State for Wales, [[William Hague]].
He was co-founder of the [[Yes for Wales]] campaign for the [[1997 Welsh devolution referendum]]. During the referendum campaign he produced a paper with Gareth Hughes, then of the Welsh Federation of Housing Associations (now known as Community Housing Cymru) and now of ITV Wales, arguing that savings could be found to liberate more funding for housing from the Government's proposal to abolish Tai Cymru as part of the devolution settlement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leightonandrews.com/2007/06/return-to-housing_08.html%23!home/mainPage|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120903194944/http://www.leightonandrews.com/2007/06/return-to-housing_08.html%23!home/mainPage|url-status=dead|title=Leighton Andrews|date=3 September 2012|archive-date=3 September 2012}}</ref>
===National Assembly for Wales=== He joined the Labour Party<ref>{{cite web|last=Meadowcroft|first=Michael|title=What's he doing there? Michael Meadowcroft laments the passage of Leighton Andrews from Liberal thinker to cheerleader for Blair's authoritarians|url=http://www.bramley.demon.co.uk/liberal/leighton.html|access-date=25 June 2013|archive-date=27 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151127084448/http://www.bramley.demon.co.uk/liberal/leighton.html|url-status=live}}</ref> following the successful [[1997 Welsh devolution referendum|referendum campaign for a Welsh Assembly]]. He is the author of ''Wales Says Yes'', a history of that campaign.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=wales+says+yes|title=Amazon.co.uk: wales says yes|website=www.amazon.co.uk|access-date=2 September 2017|archive-date=27 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127203502/https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=wales+says+yes|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2002 Andrews was selected to fight [[Rhondda (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Rhondda]] for Labour, after the party's shock defeat to [[Plaid Cymru|Plaid Cymru's]] [[Geraint Davies (Plaid Cymru politician)|Geraint Davies]] at the [[1999 National Assembly for Wales election|1999 Assembly election]]. Andrews retook the seat, with the highest increase in Labour's vote of any constituency in Wales (+21.1%) and its highest constituency vote.
In his first term as an Assembly Member, he sat on the Economic Development and Transport Committee (later called the Enterprise, Innovation and Networks Committee) (January 2005 – April 2007); Audit Committee (June 2003 – April 2007); Culture, Welsh Language and Sport Committee (June 2003 – November 2005); and Education and Lifelong Learning Committee (June 2003 – January 2005).
Andrews was appointed to the [[Welsh Assembly Government]] on 31 May 2007, as a Deputy Minister for Social Justice and Public Service Delivery, with special responsibility for housing. His speech in the Assembly on 27 June set out the broad thrust of the housing agenda which was to form the policy of the new coalition government.<ref>{{cite web |title=Senedd Cymru | Welsh Parliament |url=http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-chamber/bus-chamber-third-assembly-rop.htm?act=dis&id=54731&ds=6%2F2007#rhif3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524063028/http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-chamber/bus-chamber-third-assembly-rop.htm?act=dis&id=54731&ds=6%2F2007#rhif3 |archive-date=24 May 2011}}</ref>
On 19 July 2007 he was appointed as Deputy Minister for Regeneration in the coalition government, where he led the Heads of the Valleys and Mon a Menai programmes, and launched several Strategic Regeneration Areas across Wales. He was also responsible for digital inclusion.
In the autumn of 2009 he was campaign manager for [[Carwyn Jones]]' successful campaign to become Welsh Labour Leader.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shipton |first=Martin |date=4 October 2009 |title=Leighton Andrews: Why I'm backing Carwyn to lead |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/leighton-andrews-im-backing-carwyn-2074096 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018204117/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/leighton-andrews-im-backing-carwyn-2074096 |archive-date=18 October 2016 |access-date=15 October 2016 |newspaper=walesonline}}</ref> Jones was elected as leader.
Following Carwyn Jones's election as First Minister on 8 December 2009, Andrews was appointed by Jones to the Welsh Assembly Government Cabinet on 10 December as Minister for Children, Education & Lifelong Learning. He became Minister for Education and Skills in the Welsh Government after the 2011 election campaign when Labour won the right to govern alone, with additional responsibility for the Welsh Language. Andrews was forced to resign as Minister in June 2013, when Carwyn Jones told him he had broken the Ministerial Code by campaigning against the closure of Pentre Primary School in his Rhondda constituency.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shipton |first=Martin |date=25 June 2013 |title=Education Minister Leighton Andrews resigns |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/education-minister-leighton-andrews-resigns-4710957 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170119114757/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/education-minister-leighton-andrews-resigns-4710957 |archive-date=19 January 2017 |access-date=29 April 2017 |newspaper=walesonline}}</ref>
On the back-benches from July 2013 to September 2014, he sat on the Communities, Equality and Local Government committee and the Health and Social Services committee. After just over a year on the back-benches, he returned to the government on 11 September 2014 as Minister for Public Services, against a background of funding cuts and proposals from the [[Local government in Wales#Williams Commission|Williams Commission]] for changes including extensive reform of local government boundaries.<ref>{{cite news |date=11 September 2014 |title=Leighton Andrews says new Welsh cabinet role is a major task |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-29167691 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416105603/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-29167691 |archive-date=16 April 2016 |access-date=20 June 2018 |work=BBC News}}</ref>
His media and debating skills were recognised in December 2005 when he was named as Best New AM in the [[ITV Wales & West|ITV Wales]] Political Awards; and Best Communicator in the [[BBC Wales]] AM-PM awards. He was the first politician in Wales to be ITV Wales Politician of the Year on two occasions, in 2011 and 2012, in recognition of his agenda-setting work as Education Minister.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-12-04 |title=Leighton Andrews named Welsh Politician of the Year again |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/leighton-andrews-named-welsh-politician-2012633 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126033903/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/leighton-andrews-named-welsh-politician-2012633 |archive-date=26 January 2016 |access-date=8 January 2016 |website=walesonline}}</ref>
Andrews lost his Assembly seat at the [[2016 National Assembly for Wales election]] when he was defeated by [[Leanne Wood]], the leader of Plaid Cymru.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Evans |first=Gareth |date=6 May 2016 |title=The Assembly has lost one of its finest brains in Leighton Andrew |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/assembly-lost-one-finest-ever-11294116 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018213759/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/assembly-lost-one-finest-ever-11294116 |archive-date=18 October 2016 |access-date=15 October 2016 |newspaper=walesonline}}</ref> He described his campaign defeat in a post for Labour Uncut.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reflections on the Rhondda « Labour Uncut |url=http://labour-uncut.co.uk/2016/06/02/reflections-on-the-rhondda/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019024528/http://labour-uncut.co.uk/2016/06/02/reflections-on-the-rhondda/ |archive-date=19 October 2016 |access-date=15 October 2016 |website=labour-uncut.co.uk}}</ref> He subsequently made it clear that he would not re-stand for the seat at the next Assembly election in 2021.<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 May 2016 |title=Leighton Andrews will not stand in Rhondda at 2021 election |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-36344983 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915085344/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-36344983 |archive-date=15 September 2016 |access-date=15 October 2016 |newspaper=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==== Burberry campaign ==== On 6 September 2006 [[Burberry]] announced the closure of its [[Treorchy]] factory. Immediately the [[GMB (trade union)|GMB]] union announced a campaign to save the factory, backed by Andrews and local MP [[Chris Bryant]].<ref>{{cite news |date=7 September 2006 |title=Burberry workers to fight closure |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/5320818.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070807184423/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/5320818.stm |archive-date=7 August 2007 |access-date=30 December 2007 |work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>[http://www.gmb.org.uk/Templates/PressItems.asp?NodeID=94661 GMB Burberry Workers To Demonstrate At Welsh Assembly<!-- Bot generated title -->]{{dead link|date=September 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=19 September 2006 |title=Hollywood star in Burberry battle |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/5361162.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127203507/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/5361162.stm |archive-date=27 November 2021 |access-date=30 December 2007 |work=BBC News}}</ref>
The factory closed in March 2007, with the loss of 300 jobs.<ref>{{cite web |date=23 March 2007 |title=Burberry South Wales factory to close and 300 jobs to go despite high-profile protests – Personnel Today |url=http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2007/03/23/39820/burberry-south-wales-factory-to-close-and-300-jobs-to-go-despite-high-profile.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217053322/http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2007/03/23/39820/burberry-south-wales-factory-to-close-and-300-jobs-to-go-despite-high-profile.html |archive-date=17 February 2009 |access-date=5 December 2007 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Though the factory closed, the campaign secured an extended life for its operation, better redundancy terms for the Burberry workers, and a trust fund for the Rhondda worth £150,000 per year over the next ten years.<ref>{{cite news |date=8 November 2006 |title=Closure put back at Burberry site |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6130114.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127203509/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/6130114.stm |archive-date=27 November 2021 |access-date=30 December 2007 |work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>[http://www.gmb.org.uk/Templates/PressItems.asp?NodeID=94711 Burberry Agrees To Keep Treorchy Factory Open Until End Of March 2007<!-- Bot generated title -->]{{dead link|date=September 2011}}</ref><ref>[http://www.gmb.org.uk/Templates/PressItems.asp?NodeID=95189 Statement On Behalf Of Allan Garley Gmb, Leighton Andrews Am & Chris Bryant Mp On The Agreement Reached With Burberry Regarding Treorchy Factory<!-- Bot generated title -->]{{dead link|date=September 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=20 October 2007 |title=Keep Burberry British: Campaign successes |url=http://keepburberrybritish.typepad.com/campaign/2007/03/campaign_succes.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20071020001741/http://keepburberrybritish.typepad.com/campaign/2007/03/campaign_succes.html |archive-date=20 October 2007}}</ref> In her review of the year 2007, the Rhondda-born journalist Carolyn Hitt said:<ref>{{cite web |title=WalesOnline: News, sport, weather and events from across Wales |url=http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/columnists/2007/12/31/that-was-the-year-that-almost-wasn-t-91466-20298548/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127203520/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/ |archive-date=27 November 2021 |access-date=31 December 2007 |website=icwales.icnetwork.co.uk}}</ref><blockquote>Labour AM Leighton Andrews and MP Chris Bryant fought a passionate campaign to save 300 jobs at the Burberry clothing factory in their Rhondda constituency. But even the added celebrity glitter of Dame Judi Dench, Ioan Gruffudd and Emma Thompson couldn’t persuade the grasping label to stay. The campaign did, however, ensure a better redundancy deal and long-term community fund for the workforce.</blockquote> [[BBC Wales]] named Andrews and Bryant as joint campaigners of the year in the 2007 political awards for their work in the campaign.<ref>{{cite news |date=5 December 2007 |title=Jones takes top politician award |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7125523.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127203510/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7125523.stm |archive-date=27 November 2021 |access-date=29 December 2007 |work=BBC News}}</ref>
===Minister for Education=== While Minister for Education, Andrews led a substantial divergence from the Primary and Secondary education policy of his predecessors, instead converging with the policy pursued by the [[New Labour]] governments, and his policy is often described as representing a second 'phase' of Welsh education policy.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal | vauthors=((Evans, G.)) | journal=Journal of Educational Change | title=Back to the future? Reflections on three phases of education policy reform in Wales and their implications for teachers | volume=23 | issue=3 | pages=371–396 | date= August 2022 | doi=10.1007/s10833-021-09422-6| pmc=7986135 }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite book |last=Egan |first=David |title=Education in Wales since Devolution |vauthors= |date=2022 |publisher=University of Wales Press |isbn=978-1-78683-886-5 |editor-last=Williams |editor-first=Jane |chapter=Devolution in Wales: Social Democracy with a Welsh Stripe? |editor-last2=Eirug |editor-first2=Aled}}</ref>
==== Primary and Secondary Education ==== Andrews' changes in policy were developed as an immediate response to the 2009 [[PISA]] results, which showed Welsh schools performing substantially worse in a specific series of Maths, Science and English tests than it had previously.<ref name=":0" /> These results have been in decline in Wales, and across the UK, since nation-divided data began in 2006, and this continued under Andrews' tenure.
Andrews was critical of a perceived cultural weakness in the Welsh education system of a lack of self-evaluation and development, to which he attributed Wales poor PISA and educational outcomes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Andrews |first=Leighton |date=2011-02-02 |title=Teaching makes a difference |url=https://www.iwa.wales/agenda/2011/02/teaching-makes-a-difference/ |access-date=2026-02-16 |website=[[Institute of Welsh Affairs]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Waldram |first=Hannah |date=8 January 2016 |title=Leighton Andrews speech – in full |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cardiff/2011/feb/02/leighton-andrews-speech-education-in-full |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510232721/https://www.theguardian.com/cardiff/2011/feb/02/leighton-andrews-speech-education-in-full |archive-date=10 May 2017 |access-date=12 December 2016 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> This defined a substantial portion of his approach to policy, including a stronger focus on Assessment outcomes, as well as the use of data to track these outcomes. He re-introduced a number of policies previously scrapped in Wales, including national assessments of pupils ability at various ages, and a form of public-facing school rankings, amid other reforms to school governance and teaching intended to create a sense of 'accountability' within schools.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> These reforms were explicitly pitched at improving Wales PISA results.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
In September 2012, Andrews ordered the remarking of several thousand GCSE English papers in Wales that had been affected by a very late change in the marking scheme. His move was greeted with great relief and enthusiasm by teachers and candidates.<ref>{{cite news|title=GCSE English: WJEC ordered to regrade exams|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-19559429|publisher=BBC News|access-date=13 October 2012|date=11 September 2012|archive-date=15 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015115445/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-19559429|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Nicola |date=19 September 2012 |title=GCSE English regrade results joy for 2,300 Welsh pupils |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-19647714 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202200332/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-19647714 |archive-date=2 February 2013 |access-date=13 October 2012 |publisher=BBC Website (news report)}}</ref> However, it drew strong criticism from [[Michael Gove]], who accused Andrews of being 'irresponsible and mistaken'.<ref>{{cite news |last=Jones |first=V |date=12 September 2012 |title=Leighton Andrews under fire for 'irresponsible' GCSE English regrade demand |url=http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Leighton-Andrews-irresponsible-GCSE-English/story-16886192-detail/story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915235117/http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Leighton-Andrews-irresponsible-GCSE-English/story-16886192-detail/story.html |archive-date=15 September 2012 |access-date=13 October 2012 |newspaper=This is South Wales}}</ref> Andrews subsequently announced that Wales would have an independent exam regulator, [[Qualifications Wales]].
====Higher education and further education==== In higher and further education, Andrews pursued a policy of institutional consolidation across both Universities and Colleges. This policy led to the merger of [[University of Wales Trinity Saint David]] and [[Swansea Metropolitan University]],<ref name=":5">{{cite news |date=12 October 2012 |title=Swansea Met and Trinity Saint David join as Cardiff Met fights own merger plan |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-19914094 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014172832/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-19914094 |archive-date=14 October 2012 |access-date=13 October 2012 |newspaper=BBC Website}}</ref> and the creation [[University of South Wales]], as a merger of [[University of Wales, Newport]] and [[University of Glamorgan]]. He had intended that [[Cardiff Metropolitan University]] would also join the University of South Wales, but this did not go ahead, after resistance from Cardiff Met.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-04-11 |title=New 'metropolitan university to rival any in the UK' launches today |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/university-south-wales-launches-today-2582465 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126060257/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/university-south-wales-launches-today-2582465 |archive-date=26 January 2016 |access-date=8 January 2016 |website=walesonline}}</ref> He had further intended for colleges and other post-secondary institutions to be merged in to the University system, forming a new proposed model for post-16 education, but again this was not implemented.<ref name=":5" />
He was a strong proponent of the longstanding policy to merge universities in Wales to establish larger, more stable institutions. This agenda, and his approach to it, proved to be controversial. His campaign opened with a blunt speech to vice-chancellors, whereby he accused them of ignoring the [[Welsh Assembly Government]], and announcing a review into the governance and sustainability of the HE sector.<ref>{{cite news|last=Powis|first=Betsan|title=Putting about some stick|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/betsanpowys/2010/05/putting_about_some_stick.html|access-date=13 October 2012|newspaper=BBC Reporters' Blogs|date=26 May 2010|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924161515/http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/betsanpowys/2010/05/putting_about_some_stick.html|url-status=live}}</ref> At the time, his statement was met with cautious welcome, particularly from academics. After a scandal involving quality control at the University of Wales, Andrews forced its closure.<ref>{{cite news|title=University of Wales needs 'decent burial' – Leighton Andrews|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-15269963|access-date=13 October 2012|newspaper=BBC Website|date=12 October 2011|archive-date=23 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130423195035/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-15269963|url-status=live}}</ref>
In November 2010, Andrews announced that, contrary to the policy of the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition in Westminster, Welsh students would not have to pay the uplifted £9000 tuition fees no matter where they studied.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Welsh students to be spared tuition fee increase|url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8171272/Welsh-students-to-be-spared-tuition-fee-increase.html|website = Telegraph.co.uk|access-date = 8 January 2016|date = 2010-11-30|last1 = Paton|first1 = Graeme|archive-date = 19 January 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160119092242/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8171272/Welsh-students-to-be-spared-tuition-fee-increase.html|url-status = live}}</ref> This was lated implemented in the 2011-2016 Senedd term.
====Welsh language strategy====
A Welsh learner, Andrews published the first Welsh-Medium Education Strategy, legislated to make Welsh Language Education Strategic plans statutory, with a provision for Welsh Ministers to force local authorities to undertake assessments of parental demand for Welsh-medium education, published a new Welsh Language Strategy in 2012, appointed the first Welsh Language Commissioner, created a Welsh language digital technology fund, and set up reviews of the Eisteddfod, Welsh second language education, and Welsh for Adults. In 2013 he was criticised for rejecting many of the recommendations of the commissioner.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cymrufyw/saf/21596699|title=Pwy sy'n gyfrifol am yr iaith Gymraeg?|date=26 February 2013|website=BBC Cymru Fyw|access-date=14 March 2021|language=cy}}</ref>
====Resignation==== Andrews was forced to resign after attending a protest considered by many to be in opposition to his own policy of requiring local authorities to amalgamate schools to reduce surplus places.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-06-25 |title=Education Minister Leighton Andrews attacked on Pentre school campaign |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-23039749 |access-date=2026-02-17 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-06-25 |title=Education Minister Leighton Andrews resigns in schools row |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-23056173 |access-date=2026-02-17 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> Andrews later claimed that he was protesting the closure of a primary school in [[Pentre]] under this policy because [[Rhondda Cynon Taf|Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough council]] had failed to carry out an adequate community impact assessment for the school's closure.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pentre Primary And The Resignation Of Leighton Andrews, Minister For Education And Skill – Philip Stephen Rowlands {{!}} americymru.net |url=https://americymru.net/philip-stephen-rowlands/blog/3528/pentre-primary-and-the-resignation-of-leighton-andrews-minister-for-education-and-skill |url-access= |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119092242/https://americymru.net/philip-stephen-rowlands/blog/3528/pentre-primary-and-the-resignation-of-leighton-andrews-minister-for-education-and-skill |archive-date=19 January 2016 |access-date=8 January 2016 |website=americymru.net}}</ref> After Carwyn Jones refused to support his position, and stated he had broken the [[Ministerial Code]], he resigned on 25 June 2013.<ref name="BBC23056173" />
=== Deputy Ministries and Minister for Public Services === As Public Services Minister, Andrews took forward the local government reform agenda, building on the [[Williams Commission]] proposals, with a White Paper in February 2015, ''Power to Local People''. In June 2015 he published the Welsh Government's preferred option of a map of 8 or 9 local authorities in Wales, and took the first Local Government Bill through the Assembly. In November 2015 he published the draft Local Government Reform and Merger Bill, which was not enacted before the 2016 Assembly elections.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Live reaction as Leighton Andrews proposes the bonfire of the councils|url = http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/happened-reaction-leighton-andrews-proposed-9470514|website = walesonline|access-date = 8 January 2016|date = 2015-06-17|archive-date = 19 January 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160119092242/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/happened-reaction-leighton-andrews-proposed-9470514|url-status = live}}</ref> Andrews inherited from his predecessor, Lesley Griffiths, a Gender-based violence Bill, and took early steps to rename it to the name under which it was eventually passed into law in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Welsh Government {{!}} Assembly passes ground-breaking Violence against Women, Bill |url=http://gov.wales/newsroom/people-and-communities/2015/assembly-passes-violence-against-women-domestic-abuse-sexual-violence-bill/?lang=en |website=gov.wales |access-date=8 January 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119092242/http://gov.wales/newsroom/people-and-communities/2015/assembly-passes-violence-against-women-domestic-abuse-sexual-violence-bill/?lang=en |archive-date=19 January 2016 }}</ref>
===Labour membership=== In May 2019, Andrews wrote a blog post explaining he had left the Labour Party, amid concerns over leader [[Jeremy Corbyn]]'s Brexit policy, and his handling of the [[Antisemitism in the UK Labour Party|anti-Semitism crisis in the party]], and would be voting for the [[Green Party of England and Wales]] in the [[2019 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom]].<ref name="Leighton Andrews">{{Cite web |last=Andrews |first=Leighton |date=2019-05-23 |title=I've loaned my vote to the Greens. |url=https://leightonandrews.live/2019/05/23/ive-loaned-my-vote-to-the-greens/ |access-date=2019-05-23 |website=leightonandrews.live |language=en-GB}}</ref> He subsequently sought to rejoin the Labour Party to vote for [[Keir Starmer]] in the 2020 leadership election.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Andrews |first=Leighton |date=2020-03-27 |title=My Labour membership application has been rejected. |url=https://leightonandrews.live/2020/03/27/my-labour-membership-application-has-been-rejected/ |access-date=2025-11-13 |website=leighton andrews |language=en-US}}</ref> Andrews membership application was rejected on the grounds that he had voted Green in the 2019 European Parliament election, though he claimed this may have actually been linked to his refusal to vote for [[Rebecca Long-Bailey]] in the leadership election.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=27 March 2020 |title=Former Labour AM has application to rejoin the party rejected |work=Nation Cymru |url=https://nation.cymru/news/former-labour-am-has-application-to-rejoin-the-party-rejected/ |access-date=30 August 2023}}</ref>
==Professional career== *Parliamentary Officer, [[Age Concern]], 1982–84 *UK Campaign Director, UN [[International Year of Shelter for the Homeless]], 1984–87 *Public Affairs Consultant 1988–1993 and 1997–2002 *Head of Public Affairs for the [[BBC]] from 1993–96, based in London, responsible for the BBC's relations with the UK Parliament and with the EU institutions *Lecturer at [[Cardiff University]] [[Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies|School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies]] prior to his election to the National Assembly.
Prior to his election to the National Assembly for Wales, Andrews worked in [[Cardiff University]]'s School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, at which he was an Honorary Professor. After he lost his seat, he returned to Cardiff University, as part of its Business School, as a Professor of Practice in Public Service. He has written frequently on Media and Journalism, particularly broadcasting policy, on Welsh Politics, particularly on the period around the devolution referendums, and on Ministerial power and its use.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Leighton Andrews - Cardiff University Staff |url=https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/staff/andrewsl7 |access-date=2026-02-16 |website=Cardiff University}}</ref>
==Attitude to devolution== Andrews voted 'Yes' in the first [[1979 Welsh devolution referendum|referendum on devolution in 1979]], his first ever vote. He was one of the founders of the [[1997 Welsh devolution referendum|Yes campaign in 1997]].
Andrews supported primary law-making powers for the [[National Assembly for Wales]], provided they were approved by the people of Wales in a referendum. He argued at the [[Welsh Labour]] Special Conference in September 2004 that this should have been Welsh Labour's response to the [[Ivor Richard, Baron Richard#Richard Commission|Richard Commission]], arguing "Are we really going to say that [[Rhodri Morgan]] cannot have primary law-making powers when [[Gerry Adams]] and the Reverend [[Ian Paisley]] can?"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/politics-news/tm_objectid=14635288&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=united-behind-uncertainty-name_page.html|title=WalesOnline: News, sport, weather and events from across Wales|website=icwales.icnetwork.co.uk|access-date=27 November 2021|archive-date=27 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127203515/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/|url-status=live}}</ref>
In the autumn of 2010, he was asked by First Minister [[Carwyn Jones]] and Deputy First Minister [[Ieuan Wyn Jones]] to convene the planning group for the Yes campaign in the successful [[2011 Welsh devolution referendum|March 2011 referendum on the Assembly's law-making powers]].
== Selected works ==
* {{cite book |last=Andrews |first=Leighton |title=Wales says Yes: the inside story of the Yes for Wales referendum campaign |date=1999 |publisher=Seren |isbn=978-1-85411-253-8}} * {{Cite book |last=Andrews |first=Leighton |title=Ministering to Education: A Reformer Reports |date= |publisher=[[Parthian Books]] |year=2014 |isbn=978-1909844834 |location=[[Cardigan, Wales|Cardigan]]}} * {{Cite book |last=Andrews |first=Leighton |title=Facebook, the Media and Democracy: Big Tech, Small State? |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2019 |isbn=978-0429881558 |location=[[Abingdon, Oxfordshire]]}} * {{cite book |last=Andrews |first=Leighton |title=Ministerial Leadership: Practice, Performance and Power |vauthors= |date=2024 |publisher=Springer International Publishing AG |isbn=978-3-031-50007-7 |edition= |series= |location=[[Cham, Switzerland]]}}
==References== {{Reflist|3}}
==External links== *[http://www.leightonandrews.com/ Website and blog of Leighton Andrews AM] *[http://www.senedd.assembly.wales/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=582 National Assembly for Wales] Member profile *[https://web.archive.org/web/20071012203257/http://politics.icwales.co.uk/pdfs/25_Assembly_Handbook.pdf Assembly Handbook]
==Offices held== {{S-start}} {{S-par|wal}} {{s-bef|before=[[Geraint Davies (Plaid Cymru politician)|Geraint Davies]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Members of the National Assembly for Wales|Assembly Member]] for [[Rhondda (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Rhondda]]|years=[[2003 National Assembly for Wales election|2003]]–[[2016 National Assembly for Wales election|2016]]}} {{s-aft|after=[[Leanne Wood]]}} {{S-off}} {{s-new| post}} {{S-ttl | title = [[Welsh Assembly Government|Deputy Minister for Social Justice and Public Service Delivery]] | years = 31 May 2007 – 19 July 2007 }} {{s-aft | after = [[Jocelyn Davies]]}} {{Succession box | title = [[Welsh Assembly Government|Deputy Minister for Regeneration]] | years = 2007 – December 2009 | before = [[Huw Lewis]] | after = [[Jocelyn Davies]] }} {{Succession box | title = [[Welsh Assembly Government|Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning]] | years = December 2009 – June 2013 | before = [[Jane Hutt]] | after = [[Huw Lewis]] }} {{s-new| post}} {{S-ttl | title = [[Welsh Assembly Government|Minister for Public Services]] | years = 2014–2016 }} {{s-non|reason = post re-organised }} {{s-end}}
{{Welsh AMs 2011-2016|state=collapsed}} {{Welsh AMs 2007–2011|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andrews, Leighton}} [[Category:1957 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Academics of Cardiff Business School]] [[Category:Academics of Cardiff University]] [[Category:Alumni of Bangor University]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Sussex]] [[Category:Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates]] [[Category:Members of the Welsh Government]] [[Category:Politicians from Cardiff]] [[Category:Welsh Labour members of the Senedd]] [[Category:Wales AMs 2003–2007]] [[Category:Wales AMs 2007–2011]] [[Category:Wales AMs 2011–2016]] [[Category:Welsh-speaking politicians]]