{{Short description|Welsh politician (born 1954)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}} {{Use British English|date=November 2013}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Mick Antoniw | native_name = {{small|{{lang|uk|Мік Антонів}}}} | honorific_suffix = | image = Official portrait of Mick Antoniw 03 (cropped).jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Official portrait, 2024 | term_start = 13 May 2021 | term_end = 16 July 2024 | predecessor = [[Jeremy Miles]] | successor = [[Elisabeth Jones]] (designate)<br>[[Julie James (politician)|Julie James]] | first_minister = [[Mark Drakeford]]<br />[[Vaughan Gething]] | office = [[Counsel General for Wales]] | term_start1 = 27 June 2016 | term_end1 = 14 November 2017 | predecessor1 = [[Theodore Huckle]] | successor1 = [[Jeremy Miles]] | first_minister1 = [[Carwyn Jones]] | office2 = [[Minister for the Constitution (Wales)|Minister for the Constitution]] | term_start2 = 13 May 2021 | term_end2 = 20 March 2024 | predecessor2 = ''Office established'' | successor2 = [[Rebecca Evans (politician)|Rebecca Evans]] | first_minister2 = [[Mark Drakeford]] | office3 = [[Member of the Senedd]] <br /> for [[Pontypridd (Senedd constituency)|Pontypridd]] | majority3 = 5,328 (19.4%) | term_start3 = 6 May 2011 | term_end3 = 7 April 2026 | predecessor3 = [[Jane Davidson]] | successor3 = ''Seat abolished'' | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|9|1|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Reading, England]] | birth_name = | party = [[Welsh Labour]] | other_party = | spouse = | relations = | children = | alma_mater = [[Cardiff School of Law and Politics|Cardiff Law School]] | occupation = Lawyer | profession = | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = [http://www.welshlabour.org.uk/assembly-members/mick-antoniw/ WelshLabour.org] | footnotes = }} '''Mick Antoniw''' ({{langx|uk|Мік Антонів}}; born 1 September 1954) is a [[Welsh people|Welsh]] [[Welsh Labour|Labour]] and [[Co-operative Party|Co-operative]] politician and lawyer, who was [[Counsel General for Wales]] from 2021 to 2024,<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 March 2024 |title=First Minister Vaughan Gething announces new Welsh Government Cabinet {{!}} GOV.WALES |url=https://www.gov.wales/first-minister-vaughan-gething-announces-new-welsh-government-cabinet |access-date=22 March 2024 |website=gov.wales |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cleyl8ln66et|title=Vaughan Gething: Four Welsh government members quit and urge him to go|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> having previously served in the position from 2016 to 2017. He also previously served as [[Minister for the Constitution (Wales)|Minister for the Constitution]] from 2021 to 2024. He was the [[Member of the Senedd]] (MS) for [[Pontypridd (Senedd constituency)|Pontypridd]] from 2011 to 2026.
==Early life== Born in [[Reading, England]] in 1954,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-60508111|title=Ukraine: 'My guilt at leaving' - Mick Antoniw|date=24 February 2022|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=27 January 2023 |first=Paul |last= Rogerson |title=Go your own way |url=https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/profiles/go-your-own-way/5114938.article |access-date=16 May 2025 |website=Law Gazette |language=en}}</ref> Antoniw comes from a Ukrainian family, with a Danish mother<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-politics-35326649|title=AM's Ukrainian festivities for new year|date=16 January 2016|publisher=BBC}}</ref> and a Ukrainian father who sought refugee status in the UK following [[World War II]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/ukrainian-speaking-welsh-am-mick-antoniw-6915032|title=Ukrainian-speaking Welsh AM Mick Antoniw stands up for his father's country in Brussels|first=David|last=Williamson|date=3 April 2014|website=WalesOnline}}</ref>
Antoniw came to Wales to study law at the [[Cardiff School of Law and Politics|Cardiff Law School]] in 1973.<ref name="Antoniw 1">{{cite web |title=Mick Antoniw – about me |url=http://mickantoniw.com/page2.htm |accessdate=12 May 2011 |publisher=Mick Antoniw |year=2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110821224537/http://mickantoniw.com/page2.htm |archivedate=21 August 2011 }}</ref> He was President of the [[National Union of Students Wales]] from 1977 to 1979.<ref name="Antoniw 1"/>
==Professional career== He was a practising [[solicitor]] before his election to the [[Senedd]], specialising in personal injury. Antoniw was a partner in [[Thompsons Solicitors]], the specialist trade union solicitors, with whom he began his training in 1980.<ref name="Labour 1">{{cite web |title=Mick Antoniw – Pontypridd |url=http://welshlabour.org.uk/mick-antoniw |accessdate=12 May 2011 |publisher=[[Welsh Labour]] |year=2011 |work=Welsh Labour website }}{{dead link|date=September 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> He is a trustee of the [[Welsh Refugee Council]].<ref name="Antoniw 1"/><ref name="Labour 1"/>
==Personal life== Antoniw fostered dozens of children in the 15 years prior to his election, saying "When you are fostering, it brings immense quality. It is very challenging – and can be dependent on the nature of the fostering, whether the child is disabled or older children where there are difficulties. But my experience in the mixture of fostering that we did, was that it does add value to your life. Seeing children developing and beginning to blossom to some extent during the fostering process is very rewarding."<ref>{{cite news|last=Henry|first=Graham|date=10 June 2012|title=Action needed to speed up the adoption process in Wales|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/health/action-needed-speed-up-adoption-2028848|access-date=27 January 2022|website=WalesOnline|language=en}}</ref>
==Political career== Antoniw was a leading member of the Wales Anti-apartheid Movement (WAAM) during the 1980s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archives.library.wales/index.php/wales-anti-apartheid-movement-papers |title=Wales Anti-Apartheid Movement Papers |publisher=[[National Library of Wales]] |accessdate=14 August 2019 }}</ref> In [[1981 South Glamorgan County Council election|1981]], he was elected as a [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] councilor to the [[South Glamorgan County Council]] for the Court ward, gaining the seat from the Conservatives. He was re-elected in [[1985 South Glamorgan County Council election|1985]] but did not seek re-election in [[1989 South Glamorgan County Council election|1989]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=South Glamorgan County Council elections 1973-1995 |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/South-Glamorgan-County-1973-1993.pdf |access-date=20 November 2025 |website=Elections Centre}}</ref>
At [[2011 National Assembly for Wales election|the 2011 Welsh Assembly election]], Antoniw increased the Labour vote with a swing of 18.8%. His 11,864 votes amounted to over 50% of the poll; his majority over the second-placed [[Welsh Liberal Democrats]] candidate, Mike Powell, was 7,694.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/labour-am-mick-antoniw-accused-2495076|title=Labour AM Mick Antoniw accused of blocking employee from attending council meetings|first=Martin|last=Shipton|date=7 February 2013|website=WalesOnline}}</ref> At the [[2016 National Assembly for Wales election|2016 Welsh Assembly election]] Antoniw's vote fell to 9,986 and his majority was reduced.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/assembly-election-2016-labour-holds-11293178|title=Assembly Election 2016: Labour holds Pontypridd but with a reduced majority|first=David|last=Owens|date=6 May 2016|website=WalesOnline}}</ref>
He was appointed as [[Counsel General for Wales]] in June 2016. However, he departed from this role in November 2017 as part of a Government reshuffle, being replaced by [[Jeremy Miles]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/full-details-carwyn-jones-welsh-13856565 |title=The full details of Carwyn Jones' Welsh Government reshuffle |last=Williamson |first=David |date=3 November 2017 |website=[[Walesonline]] |access-date=22 April 2018}}</ref>
Antoniw is a fluent Ukrainian speaker and has used his knowledge of the language when meeting with Ukrainian officials including deputy prime minister [[Volodymyr Groysman]] at international summits, such as the European Union Committee of the Regions. He has stated that he is a supporter of Ukrainian accession to the European Union, a supporter of the country joining NATO, and does not support Ukrainian federalism.<ref name="auto"/> Antoniw visited Ukraine just prior to the 2022 [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]] alongside [[Plaid Cymru]] leader [[Adam Price]] in order to "show solidarity with workers and minorities" as they met workers, LGBTQ+ people, ethnic minorities and human rights defenders.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-60448384?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA|title=Ukraine: Adam Price and Mick Antoniw arrive against advice|publisher=BBC News|date=19 February 2022}}</ref>
A self-described socialist, Antoniw endorsed [[Jeremy Corbyn]]'s [[Jeremy Corbyn 2015 Labour Party leadership campaign|2015 campaign]] for [[2015 Labour Party leadership election (UK)|the leadership of the Labour Party]], [[Mark Drakeford]]'s [[2018 Welsh Labour leadership election|2018 Welsh Labour leadership bid]], and [[Keir Starmer]]'s [[2020 Labour Party leadership election (UK)|candidacy in the 2020 Labour leadership election]]. In January 2019 Drakeford appointed Antoniw as Welsh representative on [[National Executive Committee of the Labour Party (UK)|the party's National Executive Committee]]:<ref name=labourbriefing>{{cite web |url=https://labourbriefing.org/blog/2020/10/18/maximise-the-vote-for-the-gv6 |title=Maximise the vote for the #GV6 |author=[[Labour Representation Committee (2004)]] |date=18 October 2020 |website=[[Labour Briefing]] |access-date=9 May 2021}}</ref> however, Antoniw and Drakeford subsequently successfully campaigned for the position to be democratically elected by the Welsh Labour membership. Antoniw ran in the first election for the post in 2020,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://labourlist.org/2020/09/exclusive-interview-with-labour-nec-welsh-rep-candidate-mick-antoniw/ |title=Exclusive: Interview with Labour NEC Welsh rep candidate Mick Antoniw |last=Chappell |first=Elliot |date=30 September 2020 |website=[[LabourList]] |access-date=9 May 2021}}</ref> receiving endorsements from several trade unions including [[Unison (trade union)|Unison]], as well as [[Momentum (organisation)|Momentum]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://peoplesmomentum.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/1Full-NCG-3.10.2020-minutes.pdf |title=NCG Meeting: 3/10/2020: 11:00am-3pm |author=<!--Not stated-->|website=[[Momentum (organisation)|Momentum]] |access-date=9 May 2021}}</ref> the [[Labour Representation Committee (2004)|Labour Representation Committee]]<ref name=labourbriefing /> and the [[Campaign for Labour Party Democracy]]:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.clpd.org.uk/campaign/clga-candidates-nec-election-2020/ |title=Support Grassroots candidates for the 2020 NEC Elections |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=7 October 2020 |website=[[Campaign for Labour Party Democracy]]|access-date=9 May 2021}}</ref> however, he was defeated by former [[First Minister of Wales]] [[Carwyn Jones]], who won 5,195 votes to Antoniw's 4,933.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shipton |first1=Martin |date=14 November 2020 |title=Carwyn defeats Antoniw to take NEC Welsh seat |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/western-mail/20201114/281784221625300 |work=[[Western Mail (Wales)]]|publication-date=14 November 2020 |access-date=9 May 2021 |via=Press Reader}}</ref>
In July 2024, Antoniw resigned from the Welsh Government, alongside three other [[Welsh Cabinet|cabinet members]], from [[First Minister of Wales|First Minister]] [[Vaughan Gething]]'s [[Gething government|government]], prompting Gething's [[2024 Welsh government crisis|subsequent resignation as First Minister]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Grierson |first=Jamie |date=16 July 2024 |title=Vaughan Gething's leadership in peril as four Welsh ministers resign |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/16/vaughan-gething-leadership-in-peril-as-four-welsh-ministers-resign |access-date=16 July 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Mercer |first1=Rosie |last2=Deans |first2=David |date=16 July 2024 |title=Who is Vaughan Gething, the outgoing first minister of Wales? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw0y7x157nlo |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716104317/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw0y7x157nlo |archive-date=16 July 2024 |accessdate=16 July 2024 |publisher=BBC News }}</ref>
In January 2025, Antoniw announced he would be standing down at the [[2026 Senedd election]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Price |first=Emily |date=25 September 2025 |title=Labour MS warns that 'democracy is at a precipice' and calls for 'radical reform' of the way the UK is governed |url=https://nation.cymru/news/labour-ms-warns-that-democracy-is-at-a-precipice-and-calls-for-radical-reform-of-the-way-the-uk-is-governed/ |access-date=20 October 2025 |work=[[Nation.Cymru]]}}</ref>
== Honours and awards == * {{flag|Ukraine}}: ** '''2019''': Third Class of the [[Order of Merit (Ukraine)|Order of Merit]] of Ukraine<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kyivpost.com/article/opinion/op-ed/jack-laurenson-ukraines-friend-and-foe-of-the-week-7.html|title=Jack Laurenson: Ukraine's Friend and Foe of the Week {{!}} KyivPost – Ukraine's Global Voice|website=KyivPost|access-date=25 February 2020}}</ref> [[File:Order of Merit 3rd Class of Ukraine.png|30x30px]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{commons category-inline}} * [http://www.mickantoniw.wales/ Official website]
{{s-start}} {{s-par|wal}} {{s-bef|before=[[Jane Davidson]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Member of the Senedd]] for [[Pontypridd (Senedd constituency)|Pontypridd]]|years=[[2011 National Assembly for Wales election|2011]]–2026}} {{s-aft|after=Constituency abolished}} {{s-legal}} {{s-bef|before=[[Theodore Huckle]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Counsel General for Wales]]|years=2016–2017}} {{s-aft|after=[[Jeremy Miles]]}} {{s-bef|before=[[Jeremy Miles]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Counsel General for Wales]]|years=2021–2024}} {{s-aft|after=}} {{s-new}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Minister for the Constitution (Wales)|Minister for the Constitution]]|years=2021–2024}} {{s-aft|after=[[Rebecca Evans (politician)|Rebecca Evans]]}} {{s-end}}
{{Drakeford Cabinet}} {{Welsh AMs 2011–2016|state=collapsed}} {{Welsh MSs 2016–2021|state=collapsed}} {{Welsh MSs 2021–2026}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Antoniw, Mick}} [[Category:1954 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Llantrisant]] [[Category:Labour Co-operative members of the Senedd]] [[Category:Members of South Glamorgan County Council]] [[Category:Wales AMs 2011–2016]] [[Category:Wales MSs 2016–2021]] [[Category:Wales MSs 2021–2026]] [[Category:Welsh solicitors]] [[Category:Welsh humanists]] [[Category:Welsh Christians]] [[Category:British people of Danish descent]] [[Category:Ukrainian emigrants to the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Alumni of Cardiff University]] [[Category:Recipients of the Order of Merit (Ukraine), 3rd class]] [[Category:20th-century Welsh lawyers]] [[Category:21st-century Welsh lawyers]] [[Category:20th-century Welsh politicians]] [[Category:21st-century Welsh politicians]]