Carwyn Howell Jones (born 21 March 1967) is a Welsh politician and the First Minister of Wales. The third politician to lead the Welsh Government, Jones has been Assembly Member for Bridgend since 1999. In the coalition government of Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru, he was appointed Counsel General for Wales and Leader of the House on 19 July 2007. He was elected to succeed Rhodri Morgan as the Leader of Welsh Labour on 1 December 2009. On 9 December he was nominated as First Minister by the National Assembly, and was sworn into office the following day. He is a Welsh speaker, and is also a member of Amnesty International and the Fabian Society.