Tom Giffard

{{Short description|Welsh politician (born 1991)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Tom Giffard | image = Tom-giffard.jpg | image_size = | alt = | office2 = Shadow Minister for Education and Welsh Language | term_start2 = 18 April 2024 | term_end2 = 12 December 2024 | predecessor2 = [[Laura Anne Jones]] {{Small|Education}} <br> [[Sam Kurtz]] {{Small|Welsh Language}} | successor2 = [[Natasha Asghar]] {{Small|Education}} <br> [[Sam Kurtz]] {{Small|Welsh Language}} | leader2 = [[Andrew RT Davies]] | office3 = Shadow Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport | term_start3 = 27 May 2021 | term_end3 = 18 April 2024 | predecessor3 = [[David Melding]] | successor3 = [[Laura Anne Jones]] | leader3 = Andrew RT Davies | office4 = [[Member of the Senedd]] <br /> for [[South Wales West (Senedd Cymru electoral region)|South Wales West]] | term_start4 = 7 May 2021 | term_end4 = 7 April 2026 | predecessor4 = ''Multi-member constituency'' | successor4 = ''Constituency abolished'' | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1991|04|01}} | birth_place = [[Swansea]], Wales | death_date = | death_place = | resting_place = | birth_name = | party = [[Welsh Conservative]] | other_party = | spouse = | relations = | children = 1 | alma_mater = [[Swansea University]] | occupation = | profession = | cabinet = | committees = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Tom Giffard''' (born 1 April 1991) is a Welsh [[Welsh Conservative|Conservative]] politician who served as [[Member of the Senedd]] (MS) for the region of [[South Wales West (Senedd Cymru electoral region)|South Wales West]] from 2021 to 2026.<ref name="WalesOnline">{{cite news |last1=Mosalski |first1=Ruth |last2=Burkitt |first2=Sian |title=Plaid Cymru and Conservatives take two Senedd seats each in South Wales West region |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/south-wales-west-regional-senedd-20532489 |access-date=8 May 2021 |agency=WalesOnline |date=7 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Mosalski |first1=Ruth |title=The 16 politicians who lost their seats at Senedd 2026 |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/16-politicians-who-lost-seats-33915840 |work=Wales Online |date=8 May 2026 |language=en}}</ref>

== Background == Giffard is a second language Welsh speaker. He firstly became a Learning Support Assistant in a Welsh Language primary school. He then went on to complete his studies at [[Swansea University]], receiving a BA in History and Politics.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Tom Giffard MS |url=https://senedd.wales/error/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218192350/https://senedd.wales/people/tom-giffard-ms/ |archive-date=18 February 2024 |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=senedd.wales |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Political career==

Upon his graduation, he then went on to work as a Community Liaison Officer within his region of South Wales West before organising campaigns and working with volunteers in both Swansea and Bridgend.<ref name=":0" /> Prior to his election as a Member of the Senedd for South Wales West, Tom held the position of Office Manager for Bridgend MP, [[Jamie Wallis]],<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2024-04-18 |title=About Tom Giffard |url=https://www.tomgiffard.co.uk/about-tom-giffard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240303045732/https://www.tomgiffard.co.uk/about-tom-giffard |archive-date=3 March 2024 |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=Tom Giffard |language=en}}</ref> Britain's first transgender member of Parliament.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-30 |title=Jamie Wallis MP comes out as trans and says he was raped - BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-60925885 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220330090606/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-60925885 |archive-date=30 March 2022 |access-date=2024-01-09}}</ref>

Giffard was a councillor for [[Brackla]] on [[Bridgend County Borough Council]] from 2017 to 2022. He worked as the leader of the Conservative group on the council until his election to the Senedd in 2021.<ref name="WalesOnline" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

He replaced [[Suzy Davies]] at the top of the Conservatives' party list for the [[South Wales West (Senedd electoral region)|South Wales West electoral region]], as she was not re-selected for the list.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-01-19 |title=Wales election: Suzy Davies loses place on Tory Senedd candidates list |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-55649016 |access-date=2024-07-01 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> He was elected as a Conservative Member of the Senedd for [[South Wales West (Senedd electoral region)|South Wales West]] in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Election results for South Wales West |url=https://business.senedd.wales/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=353 |access-date=1 July 2024 |website=Senedd Cymru}}</ref> Shortly after being elected he was appointed as Shadow Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport.<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 May 2021 |title=Boozy MSs who drank in the Senedd after the alcohol ban came in get top roles on Welsh Tory frontbench - Wales Online |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/boozy-mss-who-drank-senedd-20689220 |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=Wales Online}}</ref> He was reshuffled to be Shadow Minister for Education and the Welsh Language in April 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Price |first=Emily |date=2024-04-18 |title=Welsh Conservatives reshuffle shadow cabinet |url=https://nation.cymru/news/welsh-conservatives-reshuffle-shadow-cabinet/ |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=Nation.Cymru |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In June 2023, Giffard read a speech generated with [[ChatGPT]] in the Senedd, celebrating Wales' win in the [[World Cup of Darts]] that year. He said to the BBC that he used it "to show just how advanced the technology is becoming".<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-06-21 |title=ChatGPT: Welsh politician uses AI chatbot to write speech |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-65976541 |access-date=2024-07-01 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> In July of the same year he was criticised by then [[First Minister of Wales|First Minister]] [[Mark Drakeford]] for a 'colonial mentality' when he said that Wales is "given £1.20 for every £1 spent in England" on the health service.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mansfield |first=Mark |date=2023-07-11 |title=Senedd sketch: Tory MS scolded for 'colonial mentality in end of term FMQ's |url=https://nation.cymru/opinion/senedd-sketch-tory-ms-scolded-for-colonial-mentality-in-end-of-term-fmqs/ |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=Nation.Cymru |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In the [[2026 Senedd election]], he was an unsuccessful candidate in the [[Gŵyr Abertawe (Senedd constituency)|Gŵyr Abertawe constituency]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 Apr 2025 |title=Tom Giffard named as Tory lead candidate for Gŵyr Abertawe Senedd Constituency |url=https://swanseabaynews.com/tom-giffard-named-as-tory-lead-candidate-for-gwyr-abertawe-senedd-seat/ |website=Swansea Bay News}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Giffard, Tom}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Conservative Party members of the Senedd]] [[Category:Wales MSs 2021–2026]] [[Category:People educated at Ysgol Tre-Gib]] [[Category:1991 births]]