Stephen Kinnock to replace Jo Stevens as Welsh secretary

Stephen Kinnock has been promoted to the cabinet as the new Secretary of State for Wales as Andy Burnham unveils his prime ministerial team.

Kinnock, who was a junior health minister in the UK Labour government, replaces the Cardiff East MP Jo Stevens, who previously said on X she was "proud" of her role in government.

Stevens had faced criticism from some Welsh Labour politicians for not supporting more powers for the Welsh government, such as for policing, with one former minister describing her as "anti-devolution".

But she said Wales saw its biggest budget settlement for public services in the history of devolution while she was in office.

Stevens, who took up the role of Welsh secretary when Labour came to power in 2024, said it had been "a privilege and an honour" to have the job.

She added: "Wales has seen the biggest budget settlement for our public services in the history of devolution, our steel industry saved and transformed for the future, the largest public investment in Wales in history through new nuclear at Wylfa, a generational commitment of £14bn for our Welsh railways, the best local growth fund settlement of any of the UK nations and so much more.

"I wish the new prime minister and my successor the very best in their new roles and know that they will do a great job, alongside our new Welsh Labour leader Ken Skates, in delivering for the people of Wales."

Stevens said former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer "leaves with the country in a much better place than he found it".

Meanwhile, First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth said the new Welsh secretary must be "someone who respects and wants to see devolution work".

He said he had not yet had a conversation with Burnham, who became prime minister on Monday, but plans were in place for one.

Ap Iorwerth added Sir Keir did not take much interest in devolution or Wales, and he hoped a new prime minister would be "an opportunity for a reset" in the Cardiff-London relationship as Burnham had a background "of understanding and appreciating the value of devolution".

The son of former Labour leader Neil Kinnock and former MEP Glenys Kinnock, he was born in Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent.

He has two children with the former Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt.

Kinnock was elected to serve Aberavon in the 2015 general election.

Keir Starmer appointed him as a junior health minister for England when Labour came to power at Westminster in 2024 with Kinnock representing the newly named constituency of Aberafan Maesteg.

Chris Bryant, MP for Rhondda and Ogmore, has been promoted to the role of Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, while Vale of Glamorgan MP Kanishka Narayan will be the minister for artificial intelligence and will also attend cabinet.

Meanwhile, Torfaen MP and Starmer loyalist Nick Thomas-Symonds announced he would be leaving government after holding a key role as the UK's chief negotiator with the European Union.

In a letter on X, he said it had been "an honour to have a role at the centre of government" and he was leaving office with the UK-EU relationship in a "far better state than when I took up the role in July 2024".