Siân Gwenllian MS Working for the people of Arfon

Siân Gwenllian represents the Arfon constituency in the Senedd/Welsh Parliament. She was elected for the first time in 2016, and was re-elected in 2021 with a higher percentage of the vote than any other candidate throughout Wales, doubling her majority with 63.3% of the vote. She is proud to have succesfully campaigned for a new medical school for the north of Wales based in Bangor in her constituency.

She currently holds the Housing and Planning portfolio for Plaid Cymru (2024-) following her role as the Lead Designated Member in the Co-operation Agreement (2021-2024) between Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Labour Government. She worked on a total of 46 policy areas bringing about major changes such as free school meals for all primary pupils, expansion of free childcare, radical measures to address the housing crisis as well as contributing to creating a more effective and representative Senedd.

During the fourth and fifth Senedd terms she has held various policy portfolios for Plaid Cymru including Education/Local Government/Planning/ Welsh Language/Culture and has been the Party’s Senedd Commissioner, Trefnydd, Chief Whip and Deputy Leader in the Senedd. She is Plaid Cymru’s Director of Policy on the party’s National Executive Committee.(2024-)

She grew up in the village of Y Felinheli where she still lives and received her secondary education in Bangor. She attended university at both Aberystwyth and Cardiff, and worked as a journalist with the BBC, HTV, Golwg as well as presenting and producing documentaries on a freelance basis. She was also press officer for Cyngor Gwynedd (1997-2004.)

In 2008 Siân was elected county councillor for Y Felinheli, serving for 8 years prior to her election to the Senedd. She held the finance portfolio (2010-12) before becoming the Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Children and Young People. She was also the county's Small Business Champion.

Siân's political interest spans several decades. During her time at Aberystwyth University she was Deputy President of the Students' Union. She has also been a primary and secondary school governor, chair of her local community council and a volunteer with many local organisations. She has been a passionate campaigner for women's equality and the Welsh language for over 45 years.

Siân had four children with her husband, Dafydd but in 1999, when their youngest son was only three years old, Dafydd died of cancer. Siân brought up the four children as a single parent.