:Mabon ap Gwynfor
{{Short description|Welsh politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Mabon ap Gwynfor
| honorific-suffix = MS
| image = Mabon-ap-gwynfor.jpg
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption = ap Gwynfor in 2021
| office3 = Member of the Senedd
for Dwyfor Meirionnydd
| majority3 = 7,096
| term_start3 = 7 May 2021
| term_end3 =
| predecessor3 = Dafydd Elis-Thomas
| successor3 =
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| birthname =
| nationality =
| party = Plaid Cymru
| otherparty =
| spouse =
| relatives = Gwynfor Evans (grandfather)
| children = 4
| residence =
| alma_mater = University of Wales, Bangor
| occupation =
| profession =
| cabinet =
| committees =
| portfolio =
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| footnotes =
| office4 = Denbighsire County Councillor for Llandrillo Ward
| termstart4 = 4 May 2017
| termend4 = 6 August 2021
| office = Plaid Cymru Health, Social Care and Housing Spokesperson
| leader = Rhun ap Iorwerth
| term_start = 27 June 2023
| office2 = Plaid Cymru Chief Whip
| termstart2 = 27 June 2023
| leader2 = Rhun ap Iorwerth
| predecessor2 =
| predecessor = Rhun ap Iorwerth
}}
{{Welsh name|Mabon,|Gwynfor}}
Rhodri Mabon ap Gwynfor is a Welsh Plaid Cymru politician who has been Member of the Senedd (MS) for Dwyfor Meirionnydd since 2021.{{cite news |title=Dwyfor Meirionnydd |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2021/wales/constituencies/W09000010 |access-date=7 May 2021}} He has served as Plaid Cymru's Health, Social Care and Housing Spokesperson and Chief Whip since June 2023.{{Cite web |date=2023-06-27 |title=Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth announces make up of Senedd team “dedicated to a fairer, greener, ambitious, more prosperous Wales” |url=https://www.partyof.wales/senedd_2023 |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=The Party of Wales |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Mansfield |first=Mark |date=2024-06-06 |title=Rhun ap Iorwerth reshuffles shadow cabinet in preparation for next Senedd election |url=https://nation.cymru/news/rhun-ap-iorwerth-reshuffles-shadow-cabinet-in-preparation-for-next-senedd-election/ |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=Nation.Cymru |language=en-GB}}
Career
Mabon was elected as a town councillor in Aberystwyth Town Council in 2004.
He stood for election to the British Parliament and Senedd unsuccessfully on several occasions between 2005 and 2016. He contested the Brecon and Radnorshire seat at the 2005 general election. He attempted to be selected as Plaid Cymru candidate for Ceredigion in 2010, but was not successful. He stood for the Clwyd South Senedd constituency in the 2011{{cite web |last1=Election results for Clwyd South (Senedd 2011) |date=April 2013 |title=Denbighshire County Council |url=https://moderngov.denbighshire.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=68&LLL=0 |access-date=8 May 2021}} and 2016{{cite web |last1=Senedd Election 2016 |date=April 2013 |title=Denbighshire County Council |url=https://moderngov.denbighshire.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=337&LLL=0 |access-date=8 May 2021 |publisher=Denbighshire County Council}} elections, and for the identically named Clwyd South constituency at the 2015 general election.{{cite web |date=April 2013 |title=Election results for Clwyd South (2015) |url=https://moderngov.denbighshire.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=326&LLL=0 |publisher=Denbighshire County Council}}
He was later elected as a Denbighshire County Councillor for Llandrillo in 2017.{{cite web |date=April 2013 |title=Councillor Mabon ap Gwynfor |url=https://moderngov.denbighshire.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=343&LLL=0 |access-date=8 May 2021 |publisher=Denbighshire County Council}}
In 2019 it was announced he would be the Plaid Cymru candidate for the Dwyfor Meirionnydd Senedd constituency in the 2021 Senedd elections, in a selection process involving five other candidates.{{Cite web |date=2019-07-12 |title=Plaid picks candidate to fight seat |url=https://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/news/politics/plaid-picks-candidate-to-fight-seat-106375 |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=Cambrian News}} He was elected, with a majority of 7,096 votes. Shortly after he was elected, in August 2021, he resigned as councillor for Llandrillo. He said it was impossible to "effectively" fulfil roles as a councillor and Senedd Member.{{Cite web |date=August 6, 2021 |title=New Plaid Cymru Senedd member steps down as councillor |url=https://nation.cymru/news/new-plaid-cymru-senedd-member-steps-down-as-councillor/ |website=Nation.Cymru}} He had previously said he would remain in place until elections to be held in May 2022.
He is a member of the Senedd Health and Social Care committee.{{Cite web |title=Mabon ap Gwynfor MS |url=https://senedd.wales/people/mabon-ap-gwynfor-ms/ |access-date=2024-05-16 |website=senedd.wales |language=en-GB}} He chairs cross-party groups on Fisheries and Aquaculture, Housing, and Peace and Reconciliation, and is vice-chair of the North Wales group. He is a member of cross-party groups on hospice and palliative care, human rights, long COVID, poverty, renewable and low carbon energy, rural growth, stroke and Welsh wool.
In 2023 he was elected as national chair of CND Cymru{{Cite web |title=Meet the Team |url=https://www.cndcymru.org/en/meet-the-team/ |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=CND Cymru}}
Personal life
He is the grandson of Plaid Cymru's first Member of Parliament and former president, Gwynfor Evans.{{cite web |title=Mabon ap Gwynfor welcomed as Plaid Cymru's Dwyfor Meirionnydd candidate |url=https://www.plaidgwynedd.wales/mabon_ap_gwynfor_welcomed_as_plaid_cymru_s_dwyfor_meirionnydd_candidate |website=Plaid Cymru |access-date=7 May 2021}} He is married, and has four children.
Mabon graduated from the University of Wales, Bangor, with a BA in History. In 2023, he self-published a book, Going Nuclear.{{Cite news |last=Hedges |first=Mike |author-link=Mike Hedges (politician) |date=2024-01-27 |title=Book review: Going Nuclear by Mabon ap Gwynfor |url=https://nation.cymru/opinion/book-review-going-nuclear-by-mabon-ap-gwynfor/ |access-date=2024-11-18 |work=Nation.Cymru}}
He was accepted to the Gorsedd of the Bards in the National Eisteddfod at Boduan in 2023.{{Cite news |last=Vale |first=Julie McNicholls |date=2023-08-11 |title=Archbishop and Gwynedd MS join Gorsedd of Bards at National Eisteddfod |url=https://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/news/archbishop-and-gwynedd-ms-join-gorsedd-of-bards-at-national-eisteddfod-631991 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813090017/https://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/news/archbishop-and-gwynedd-ms-join-gorsedd-of-bards-at-national-eisteddfod-631991 |archive-date=2023-08-13 |access-date=2024-11-18 |work=Cambrian News}}
Selected Works
{{Cite book |last=ap Gwynfor |first=Mabon |title=Going Nuclear |publisher=Mabon ap Gwynfor (self) |year=2023 |isbn=9781845245405 |language=en-GB}}
References
{{Reflist}}
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{{s-bef | before= Dafydd Elis-Thomas }}
{{s-ttl
| title=Member of the Senedd for Dwyfor Meirionnydd
| years=2021 – Present
}}
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{{s-end}}
{{Current MSs|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mabon Ap Gwynfor}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Plaid Cymru members of the Senedd
Category:Plaid Cymru councillors
Category:Welsh-speaking politicians
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