Wales’ 20mph minister to step down as Member of the Senedd in 2026

Senedd member Lee Waters has announced he will step down in 2026.
Mr Waters has been the Member of the Senedd for Llanelli since 2016 and was Wales’ deputy minister for economy and transport until Vaughan Gething was elected first minister earlier this year.
He masterminded the introduction of the law which required a default 20mph limit in built-up areas in Wales from September 2023.
He made his announcement to step down on his LinkedIn profile.
He wrote: “I have informed the Llanelli Constituency Labour Party that I will not be putting my name forward for re-selection ahead of the 2026 Senedd elections.
“By the time of the next elections I will have spent a full decade in our Senedd. I’ve never considered elected office to be a career, but a public service.
“I’ve given 100% of myself to the role and have tried my very best, both as a constituency representative and as a minister.
“I’m grateful to people in Llanelli and the Gwendraeth valley, for giving me the chance to serve. It has been a genuine privilege, and an enormous challenge.
“I’ve always thought that the task of tackling Wales’ problems is best approached as a relay race, and I feel it’s time now to hand on the baton to some fresh legs so that others can have their chance to make a contribution.”
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