Delyth Jewell - Plaid Cymru MS
Delyth Jewell MS â Plaid Cymru
Full name: Delyth Non Jewell
Born: 1988
Constituency: Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni (since May 2026)
Previous constituency: South Wales East (regional list, 2019â2026)
Party: Plaid Cymru
Current role: Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women's Health (since May 2026)
Party role: Deputy Leader of Plaid Cymru (since June 2023)
Who They Are
Delyth Jewell is a Welsh nationalist politician representing Plaid Cymru. She entered the Senedd (then the National Assembly for Wales) in January 2019 as a regional Member for South Wales East, succeeding the late Steffan Lewis following his death from bowel cancer. In the 2026 Senedd election, she was elected as the first MS for the newly created constituency of Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni, which covers the New Tredegar area.
She has been described on Reddit as "brilliant" and "personable" (r/politicsjoe), with observers noting her as one of the more visible and articulate Plaid Cymru MSs.
Background & Early Life
- Born in Caerphilly, grew up in Ystrad Mynach
- Education: Ysgol Bro Allta â Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni â University of Oxford (BA English Language and Literature, MA Celtic Studies)
- Student politics: President of the Dafydd ap Gwilym Society (Oxford's Welsh-language society) in 2007
- Pre-political career:
- Five and a half years as a researcher and speechwriter for Plaid Cymru MPs
- Contributed to new laws against stalking (2012) and domestic violence (2015)
- Worked for Citizens Advice and Welsh Water
- Worked for ActionAid charity on women's rights and international development
- Two days before entering the Senedd, she wrote for The Independent highlighting abuse and harassment of female politicians
Political Career Timeline
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Second on Plaid Cymru list for South Wales East; not elected (only Steffan Lewis won) |
| Jan 2019 | Succeeded Steffan Lewis in the Senedd after his death |
| Feb 2019 | Sworn into office as Assembly Member |
| Jun 2019 | Selected as Plaid Cymru candidate for Caerphilly constituency |
| Feb 2020 | Appointed Plaid Cymru spokesperson for Public Service Transformation and the Future; LGA coordinator |
| May 2021 | Re-elected as MS for South Wales East; given responsibility for Climate Change, Energy and Transport |
| Jun 2023 | Appointed Deputy Leader of Plaid Cymru's Senedd group by new leader Rhun ap Iorwerth |
| Jun 2024 | Transport and Energy portfolios transferred to other MSs |
| May 2026 | Elected as MS for Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni (new constituency) |
| May 2026 | Appointed Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women's Health in Rhun ap Iorwerth's government |
Key Stances & Campaigns
đ Welsh Independence
- Strong advocate for Welsh independence; pressed Mark Drakeford in 2019 on whether Wales should consider independence if Scotland leaves the UK
- Has argued that Wales' best interests "will never be served by any Westminster government"
- Has made the case that Westminster owes Wales ~ÂŁ200 billion due to the industrial revolution (a claim debated on Reddit at the time)
đď¸ Jobs & Economic Development Outside Cardiff
- The Reddit post "Senedd must create jobs outside Welsh cities" (2021, 66 upvotes, r/Wales) reflects her focus on spreading economic opportunity beyond the capital
- Has called for "creating opportunities for young people outside Cardiff"
- Advocated for reopening the railway line through Nelson
đ´ó §ó ˘ó ˇó Źó łó ż Welsh Language & Culture
- Welsh speaker, educated through Welsh-medium education (Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni)
- President of Oxford's Welsh society during her studies
- Campaigns on cultural issues including library closures and arts funding
âď¸ Health & Social Care
- As Deputy Minister, responsible for social care, mental health, and women's health
- Has challenged the Welsh Government on NHS issues, including mortuary mix-ups at Grange University Hospital
- Called for better support for those affected by welfare benefit cuts
- Raised concerns about the impact of climate anxiety on young people's mental health
đ Rugby & Sport
- Led Senedd questioning on the WRU professional game crisis; the WRU "must recognise that it has lost the argument over the future of the professional game" (Reddit, r/rugbyunion, 227 upvotes)
- Praised world champion boxer Lauren Price in the Senedd
âď¸ Social Justice
- Slams UK Government welfare cuts as "brutal"
- Called for support for women denied their state pensions (1950s WASPI women)
- Opposed benefit cuts calling the situation "shameful"
- Advocate for animal rights and nature emergency legislation
đ Transport
- Called for devolution of Crown Estate management to Wales
- Attacked UK Government rail announcements as "smoke and mirrors"
- Supported reopening of Valleys railway lines
Recent Activity (as of May 2026)
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| 13 May 2026 | Appointed Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women's Health â the first time a Welsh Government portfolio has explicitly named "Women's Health" |
| 13 May 2026 | Sworn in as MS for new Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni constituency |
| May 2026 | Campaigns supported by Crisis Cymru/Wales congratulate her on appointment |
| Mar 2026 | Featured on BBC Radio 4 Any Questions? alongside Chris Bryant MP, James Evans MS, Darren Millar MS |
| Mar 2026 | Senedd committee response to WRU professional rugby crisis â statement that WRU "has lost the argument" |
| 2025 (Oct) | Plaid Cymru wins Caerphilly by-election (constituency Labour had held) |
Media & Appearances
Delyth Jewell is a regular panelist on BBC Radio 4's Any Questions?, having appeared multiple times between 2019 and 2026 alongside figures including:
- Sir Chris Bryant MP, James Evans MS, Darren Millar MS (March 2026)
- David TC Davies MP, Guto Harri, Rain Newton-Smith, Jo Stevens MP (June 2024)
- Vaughan Gething MS, Andrew RT Davies, Jane Dodds (2021â2023)
- Grant Shapps MP, Stephen Kinnock MP, Ben Habib MEP (2019)
Sources
Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delyth_Jewell
Senedd / Welsh Government
- https://www.senedd.wales/people/delyth-jewell/
- https://gov.wales/delyth-jewell (Welsh Government profile)
News Articles
- Delyth Jewell MS appointed Welsh Government Deputy Minister â South Wales Argus
- Plaid Cymru's success is a 'real moment in time' â Delyth Jewell MS â The National Wales
- Delyth Jewell: Senedd must create jobs outside Welsh cities â The National Wales (May 2021)
- Delyth Jewell selected as Plaid Cymru Assembly candidate for Caerphilly â Nation.Cymru (Jun 2019)
BBC
- BBC Radio 4 Any Questions? â Delyth Jewell â Multiple appearances
Social Media (X / Nitter)
- @DelythJewell â Official X account
- https://nitter.local/DelythJewell (via Nitter)
- Introducing the new Welsh Government Cabinet â r/Wales (May 2026)
- Senedd must create jobs outside Welsh cities â r/Wales (May 2021)
- "The WRU must recognise that it has lost the argument" â r/rugbyunion (Mar 2026)
- Caerphilly by-election â "Delyth Jewell in particular is brilliant" â r/politicsjoe (Oct 2025)
- Delyth Jewell AM claims Westminster owes Wales ÂŁ200 billion â r/Wales (Jul 2019)
News Aggregators
File generated: 23 May 2026