Rosemary Butler (politician)

Rosemary Butler
Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales
In office
11 May 2011 – 11 May 2016
DeputyDavid Melding
Preceded byDafydd Elis-Thomas
Succeeded byElin Jones
Deputy Presiding Officer
In office
9 May 2007 – 11 May 2011
Preceded byJohn Marek
Succeeded byDavid Melding
Minister for Education
In office
25 May 1999 – 18 October 2000
First SecretaryAlun Michael
Rhodri Morgan
Preceded byOffice Created
Succeeded byJane Davidson
Assembly Member
for Newport West
In office
6 May 1999 – 6 April 2016
Preceded byOffice Created
Succeeded byJayne Bryant
Personal details
Born
Rosemary Janet Mair McGrath

(1943-01-21) 21 January 1943 (age 81)
Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England, UK
Political partyWelsh Labour Party
SpouseDerek Butler (1966–present)
Children2

Dame Rosemary Janet Mair Butler DBE (née McGrath; born 21 January 1943) is a British politician who served as Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales (now Llywydd of the Senedd) from 2011 to 2016. A member of Welsh Labour, Butler was the Assembly Member (AM; now Member of the Senedd) for Newport West from 1999 to 2016.

Serving briefly as Secretary for Education in the first two years of the Welsh Government, she was elected Deputy Presiding Officer in May 2007. In May 2011, Butler was elected as the Presiding Officer. She did not stand for election to the Assembly in the 2016 elections. She has two children: Alice Butler and Kate Needham (1968-2013). She has four grandchildren: Oscar Needham, Beatrix Needham, Jasmine Butler-Bright and Sorrel Butler-Bright.