THE latest crop of Members of the Senedd have secured top roles within the Shadow Cabinet.

Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd have revealed their latest shadow cabinet appointments.

Darren Millar, representing Clwyd West, is Chief Whip and Shadow Minister for the Constitution and North Wales.

Janet Finch-Saunders, representing Aberconwy, has been appointed Shadow Minister for Climate Change.

Newly elected Sam Rowlands, representing North Wales, has become Shadow Minister for Local Government.

And Gareth Davies, MS for Vale of Clwyd, has been appointed Shadow Minister for Social Services.

Mark Isherwood, also North Wales MS, is Shadow Minister for Social Justice and Shadow Counsel General.

Mrs Finch-Saunders will be the group’s nomination to the Senedd Commission.

Andrew RT Davies, Welsh Conservative leader, said: "After our best ever Welsh election result, this is a new team brimming with energy and ideas to tackle the big challenges Wales faces as we come out of the pandemic.

“The Welsh Conservatives have delivered a fresh team to the Senedd and I’m excited to see a new shadow cabinet full of talent and expertise from outside parliament enter the political fray in Wales.

“Our immediate priority will be working in the national interest to protect livelihoods and ensure our economy gets on the road to recovery and we build back better after the most difficult period we’ve seen in peacetime Britain.

“My team will do the job that families, workers and businesses in Wales want to see from us – holding Labour to account, putting forward positive policy alternatives as we build a real alternative and ensuring that, through strong opposition, we deliver better government.”

Mr Rowlands, who became regional Senedd Member in the Senedd Election after beating Plaid Cymru’s Wrexham candidate Carrie Harper by just 21 votes under the convoluted d’Hondt system of proportional representation, said: "I feel really privileged to have been asked to be the Shadow Minister for Local Government in the Welsh Parliament.  

"Having been a local Councillor for the past 13 years and in most recent times the Leader of Conwy County Borough Council, I know first-hand the good work that local government can do in our country. 

"In this role I will speak up for local councils and seek to ensure the Labour Welsh Government do not ride roughshod over local democracy and the vital services that our communities need.”

Mr Davies took the victory in the Senedd Election with 10,792 votes.

There were 366 votes between Conservatives and Labour following a recount.

He said of his appointment: "I'm absolutely delighted to be appointed as the Shadow Minister for Social Services.

"I've got many transferrable skills to bring to the role, after working in the NHS and Local Government for 11 years and seeing first hand the problems facing the Social Care sector in Wales. It's now more important than ever that the Welsh Government can provide a Social Care model that is reflective of modern society.

"I will do all I can to hold the Welsh Government to account and fight for a Social Care system that delivers for the whole of Wales.”

Mr Millar, who was first elected to the Welsh Parliament in May 2007 and has previously served on the Welsh Conservative front bench as chief whip, shadow minister for External Affairs and International Relations, shadow secretary for Education and children and shadow minister for Health and Older People, said: "It is fantastic to be back in the Senedd with a stronger Conservative team and I am really looking forward to getting stuck into my new role and working with my fellow Conservatives MSs old and new to ensure that the people of North Wales get a fairer deal.

"My role as Shadow Minister for North Wales will enable me to fight further to this end."

Mrs Finch-Saunders, who retained the Aberconwy Senedd seat she's held since 2007 with a crushing 3,336 majority, said of her appointment: "In the year of COP15 and COP26, when the UK Government will show bold leadership to help drive forward clean and green recoveries around the globe, I am absolutely delighted to have been appointed as the Welsh Shadow Minister for Climate Change.  

“This is a large and important portfolio with a growing number of pressing issues to address. The climate and nature emergencies are among the greatest challenges of our time, so I am clear that Wales must take action today to drive down emissions and meet our targets. 

“That means reviewing proposals for a Welsh Clean Air Act to make them more ambitious and urgently bringing forward plans for a more permanent Welsh environment watchdog. Moves must also be taken to supercharge investment in the wide spectrum of renewable energy."

The new Shadow Cabinet appointments in full are as follows:

Welsh Conservative leader – Andrew RT Davies

Chief Whip and Shadow Minister for the Constitution and North Wales – Darren Millar

Deputy Whip and Shadow Minister for Equalities – Altaf Hussain

Shadow Minister for Climate Change – Janet Finch-Saunders

Shadow Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport – Tom Giffard

Shadow Minister for the Economy – Paul Davies

Shadow Minister for Education – Laura Jones

Shadow Minister for Finance – Peter Fox

Shadow Minister for Health – Russell George

Shadow Minister for Local Government – Sam Rowlands

Shadow Minister for Mental Health, Wellbeing and Mid Wales – James Evans

Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs and Welsh Language – Samuel Kurtz

Shadow Minister for Social Justice and Shadow Counsel General – Mark Isherwood

Shadow Minister for Social Partnership – Joel James

Shadow Minister for Social Services – Gareth Davies

Shadow Minister for Transport and Technology – Natasha Asghar