Gwyther was election agent for Nick Ainger MP in 1997.[2]
National Assembly for Wales
Gwyther was selected as the Welsh Labour candidate to contest the Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire constituency at the 1999 Welsh assembly election, the first elections to the assembly.[2] She was elected with a majority of 1,492 votes.[3] She was re-elected in 2003, with a reduced majority of 515 votes.[4] In 2007 she lost the seat to Angela Burns of the Welsh Conservatives by just 98 votes.[5] She contested the constituency again in 2011, but was not elected.[6]
She introduced organic, dairy, red meat and diversification support, as well as a sustainable development scheme for Wales, and helped to facilitate deals for the sale of Welsh beef, after the ban on British beef was lifted in August 1999.[15]
In September 1999, in collaboration with Scottish Agriculture Secretary at the time Ross Finnie, Gwyther obtained £20m of financial support for Welsh sheep farmers from Westminster Agriculture Minister Nick Brown, after significant reductions in the price of ewes lead to challenges for farmers.[16][17][18] However, a similar scheme for the culling of calves failed, after it was not approved by the European Union's Agriculture Commissioner, Franz Fischler, who stated the scheme must apply to the whole United Kingdom.[19][20][21] Gwyther later alleged she had privately been given the green light for the scheme by Fischler, who then changed his mind.[22] A censure motion was passed in the Assembly over the scheme not being secured, but Gwyther retained the support of Welsh Labour and of the Cabinet, and did not resign.[8][21][23] A motion of no confidence in the Welsh Assembly Government and First Secretary Alun Michael was put forward by the Welsh Conservatives in response to her not resigning, which failed due to abstention from Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats.[8][14][24] Presiding Officer Dafydd Elis-Thomas later said he thought there was an "element of sexism in relation to the agriculture secretary" during the debate on the motion.[14]
Gwyther also initially led the Welsh Government's opposition to efforts from the UK government to introduce GMO crops, and was known to personally oppose their introduction in Wales.[25][26] Their introduction required support from all devolved governments.[25] On 29 March 2000, the Assembly Agriculture and Rural Affairs committee recommended that she block the use of GMOs. Hours later, Gwyther gave support for the use of the GMOs, saying it was the only "reasonable, legal way forward".[26] A censure motion was proposed against Gwyther for "for her failure to address the concerns of the National Assembly for Wales, by failing to secure a GM free environment". The censure motion failed, 26 votes to 20.[27] It was later revealed that their usage was forced, with Gwyther not being told the trial was going to take place until the day the seeds were planted,[28] and that the seeds had already been accidentally sold and planted earlier in the year across the UK.[29] In July 2000, GM crops were banned in Wales, after an earlier assembly motion banning them was found to be lawful.[30][31]
After Alun Michael resigned as First Minister, Gwyther was initially retained in the cabinet. On 25 July 2000, on the eve of the Royal Welsh Show, she was dismissed from her post by First Minister, Rhodri Morgan, and replaced by Carwyn Jones.[1][13] Morgan was criticised for this decision. Labour AM Lorraine Barrett said of Gwyther that "Farmers have been very unfair to Christine. I think the fact that she was a woman and a vegetarian to boot, they just couldn't handle it. I think they're much happier now with a meat-eating male."[1][13] Gwyther later revealed on BBC Wales 2 that she had offered to resign twice, and that Morgan had not accepted.[22]
Backbench career
Gwyther was elected chair of the Economic Development and Transport committee in May 2001, after Val Feld stood down from the role due to illness.[32] She retained the role in the Second Assembly.[33] She was also founder member of the National Assembly Sustainable Energy Group, and founded the assembly's Women and Democracy Group.[34]
During her time as a backbencher, Gwyther supported a campaign to ban hunting with dogs,[35] opposed the moving of healthcare facilities from Swansea to Cardiff,[36][37] and supported efforts to allow people with terminal illnesses to die at home.[38]
After losing her seat, she worked for Labour Mid and West Wales AM Alun Davies, who had been elected on the regional list due to her failing to retain her own seat.[39]
^Walters, Brian (17 September 1999). "40,000 calves to be slaughtered: Wales-only culling scheme may get European backing". South Wales Evening Post. p. 10.
^Walters, Brian (7 October 1999). "Calf policy given Euro snub". South Wales Evening Post. p. 5.
^Shipton, Martin (29 April 2004). "'Foreign Junket' AM group hits back". Western Mail. p. 6.
^"Members oppose hunting". Western Mail. 26 February 2002. p. 7.
^Turner, Robin (26 June 2002). "Neurological services switch opposed; Health: Politicians united against movement of paediatric treatment to capital". Western Mail. p. 5.
^"West case is argued in writing". South Wales Evening Post. 2 October 2002. p. 10.
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