Sam Rowlands
{{Short description|Welsh politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Sam Rowlands
| honorific-suffix = MS
| image = Sam-rowlands.jpg
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| caption = Rowlands in 2021
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| nationality =
| party = Conservative
| otherparty =
| spouse = Natasha Rowlands
| relations =
| children = 3
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| cabinet =
| committees = Local Government and Housing Committee
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| office = Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance
| termstart = 12 December 2024
| leader = Darren Millar
| predecessor = Peter Fox
| office1 = Shadow Minister for Health
| termstart1 = 18 April 2024
| termend1 = 5 December 2024
| predecessor1 = Russell George
| successor1 = James Evans
| leader1 = Andrew RT Davies
| office2 = Shadow Minister for Local Government
| termstart2 = 27 May 2021
| termend2 = 18 April 2024
| predecessor2 = Laura Anne Jones{{efn|As Shadow Minister for Housing and Local Government, Equalities, Children and Young People}}
| successor2 = Peter Fox{{efn|As Shadow Minister for Finance and Local Government}}
| office3 = Member of the Senedd
for North Wales
| majority3 =
| term_start3 = 8 May 2021
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| office4 = Leader of Conwy County Borough Council
| termstart4 = 3 June 2019
| termend4 = 13 May 2021
| predecessor4 = Gareth Jones
| successor4 = Charlie McCoubrey
| office5 = Conwy County Borough Councillor for Pentre Mawr Ward
| termstart5 = 2 May 2008
| termend5 = 5 May 2022
}}
Sam Rowlands is a Welsh Conservative politician serving as Member of the Senedd (MS) for the North Wales electoral region since 2021,{{cite web |title=Election results for North Wales |url=https://committeemeetings.flintshire.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=614&RPID=19263971&LLL=0 |access-date=16 January 2023 |publisher=Flintshire County Council}} and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance since December 2024.{{Cite news |date=2024-12-12 |title=New Welsh Conservatives leader Darren Millar MS announces shadow cabinet |url=https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2024-12-12/new-welsh-conservatives-leader-darren-millar-ms-announces-shadow-cabinet |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241212171525/https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2024-12-12/new-welsh-conservatives-leader-darren-millar-ms-announces-shadow-cabinet |archive-date=2024-12-12 |access-date=2024-12-16 |work=ITV News}} He has also formerly served as Shadow Health Minister, and as the Leader of Conwy County Borough Council from 2019 to 2021.
Personal Life and Career
Rowlands was born in Bangor. He moved to Abergele when he was nine.{{Cite web |title=Sam Rowlands MS |url=https://senedd.wales/people/sam-rowlands-ms/ |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=senedd.wales}}
Rowlands worked for HSBC from 2009 to 2019 as a credit risk manager.{{Cite web |title=Sam Rowlands MS |url=https://www.northwestwalesconservatives.org.uk/people/sam-rowlands-ms |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=North West Wales Conservatives |language=en}} He holds a degree in Business Management.
Political Career
Rowlands began his career as a member of Conwy County Borough Council{{cite web |url=https://modgoveng.conwy.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=32&RPID=24576941 |website=Election results for Pentre Mawr |publisher=Conwy County Borough Council |access-date=16 January 2023|title=Local Democracy }} and Abergele Town Council,{{cite web |url=https://modgoveng.conwy.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=61&RPID=24576952 |website=Election results for Abergele - Pentre Mawr |publisher=Conwy County Borough Council |access-date=16 January 2023|title=Local Democracy }} being first elected in the 2008 Welsh Local Government Elections.{{Cite web |title=Local Elections Archive Project - 2012 - Conwy |url=https://www.andrewteale.me.uk/leap/results/2012/422/ |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=www.andrewteale.me.uk}} He represented the Pentre Mawr electoral ward. He served as the mayor of Abergele from 2015 to 2016.{{cite web |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Attend+meetings+-+mayor.-a0414119360 |website=Attend meetings - mayor. |publisher=The Free Library by Farlex |access-date=16 January 2023|title=Attend meetings - mayor. - Free Online Library }} Rowlands also stood in the Vale of Clwyd in the 2016 Welsh Assembly Election.{{cite web |date=April 2013 |title=Election results for Vale of Clwyd |url=https://moderngov.denbighshire.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=339&RPID=21346117&LLL=0 |access-date=16 January 2023 |publisher=Denbighshire County Council}} He was not elected.
After the 2017 Conwy County Borough Council elections, Rowlands formed part of the minority Conservative-Independent administration run by Gareth Jones,{{Cite news |date=2017-06-19 |title=Plaid Cymru Conwy leader defies party on Tory coalition |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-40327969 |access-date=2024-05-21 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} serving as the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources between June 2017 and June 2019. In June 2019, Rowlands was removed from this role by Jones, after holding talks to take control of the council.{{Cite news |date=2019-05-28 |title=Conwy council leader faces leadership contest |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-48437452 |access-date=2024-05-21 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |date=2019-05-28 |title=Threat to Conwy council's leadership result of naked political ambition |url=https://www.rhyljournal.co.uk/news/17668089.lack-direction-reason-bid-remove-conwy-councils-leader/ |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=Rhyl Journal |language=en}} Rowlands then tabled a no-confidence motion in Jones' leadership, and took control of the council,{{Cite news |date=2019-06-03 |title=Conwy council leader replaced by sacked councillor |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-48501460 |access-date=2024-05-21 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} which he led until 2021, when he resigned as leader upon being elected as Member of the Senedd for the North Wales electoral region.{{Cite web |date=2021-05-12 |title=Conwy council's leader to resign after winning MS seat at Senedd Cymru election |url=https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19296148.conwy-council-leader-step-following-senedd-cymru-election-success/ |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=North Wales Pioneer |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2021-05-27 |title=Welsh election: Fresh faces in new Conservative Senedd team |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-57253561 |access-date=2024-05-21 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} He served the remainder of his term as a Councillor, leaving the role at the 2022 elections, which he did not contest.
Following his election to the Senedd, Rowlands was appointed Shadow Minister for Local Government.{{Cite web |title=Boozy MSs who drank in the Senedd after the alcohol ban came in get top roles on Welsh Tory frontbench - Wales Online |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/boozy-mss-who-drank-senedd-20689220 |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=www.walesonline.co.uk}} He re-established the Cross Party Group on Tourism.{{cite web | access-date=16 January 2023 | url=https://business.senedd.wales/documents/s117173/Minutes%20of%208%20July%202021.pdf | title=Minutes of 8 July 2021 | publisher=Welsh Parliament | website=business.senedd.wales}} Rowlands led a campaign working with Conwy County Borough Council to re-establish the Conwy County Borough School's Football Association in 2021.{{cite news |title=Colwyn Bay footballer selected for full Welsh under-14s squad |url=https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/20017893.colwyn-bay-footballer-selected-full-welsh-under-14s-squad/ |access-date=16 January 2023}} Rowlands has spoken on the importance of sport to keep people fit and healthy as well as a driver for economic development in the Welsh Parliament. In 2022 he also became the Chairman of Welsh Parliament Cross Party Group on the Outdoor Activity Sector. He is also a member of the Health and Social Care committee, as well as a member of cross party groupings on Armed Forces and Cadets, Beer and Pubs, Horseracing, Industrial Communities, North Wales, Renewable and Low Carbon Energy, Rural Growth, Sport, and Welsh Wool.
In a reshuffle in April 2024, Rowlands was appointed as Shadow Health Minister.{{Cite web |last=Price |first=Emily |date=2024-04-18 |title=Welsh Conservatives reshuffle shadow cabinet |url=https://nation.cymru/news/welsh-conservatives-reshuffle-shadow-cabinet/ |access-date=2024-06-30 |website=Nation.Cymru |language=en-GB}} After the resignation of Andrew RT Davies and election of Darren Millar as leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Rowlands was appointed as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance
= Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill =
During July 2022 Rowlands's proposed Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill was drawn in the Welsh Parliament's ballot of proposed member's bills.{{cite web | access-date=16 January 2023 | url=https://senedd.wales/senedd-business/legislation/proposed-member-bills/development-of-the-outdoor-education-wales-bill/ | title=Development of the Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill | publisher=Welsh Parliament | website=senedd.wales}} On 26 October 2022 the Welsh Parliament voted to allow time and resources to be committed to developing this legislation further, with support from Conservative, Plaid Cymru and Liberal Democrat MSs. Labour opposed the bill.{{cite web | access-date=16 January 2023 | url=https://record.assembly.wales/VoteOutcome/13014#V3819 | title=Vote Outcomes Plenary 26/10/2022 | publisher=Welsh Parliament | website=record.assembly.wales}} In April 2024, the bill was rejected by the Senedd, after a motion to agree the general principles of the bill failed.{{Cite web |date=2023-11-16 |title=Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill |url=https://business.senedd.wales/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=42265 |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=business.senedd.wales |language=en-gb}}
Notes
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References
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{{Current MSs|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowlands, Sam}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Conservative Party members of the Senedd
Category:Welsh Conservative councillors