William 

William is an active and effective member of the National Assembly First elected in 1999, William was re-elected as AM for South Wales East in 2003. Born in 1949. William is married with three children. He is the sixth generation principal of a family firm of surveyors in Newport established in 1844.

A fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, William is also a past Chairman of Newport Harbour Commission, past chairman of Rougemont School Trust, Newport and has been an elder at Victoria Road URC for a great many years. William is also a member of numerous organisations, including the Listed Building Advisory Committee and the Rent Assessment Committee for Wales.

William has years of experience in local politics in Wales. He is the former leader of the Conservative group on Newport County Borough Council. He is currently the Conservative Assembly Group Business Manager, Spokesman on European Affairs in the National Assembly and a member of the Assembly Commission.

For more information on Business Committee please click here.

For more information on the work of the Assembly Commission click here.

For more information on the Assembly European and External Affairs Committee click here.

In his time in the National Assembly, William has campaigned on a range on local and national issues affecting Wales. In 2001 William called for an inquiry after revealing that a group of asylum seekers were handcuffed after being taken to hospital for TB tests. In 2002 he campaigned to save a medieval ship discovered on the banks of the River Usk in Newport. Most recently he warned of a lack of government action to respond to new laws on the disposal of hazardous waste and called on ministers to do more to tackle substance misuse in Wales.

William Graham AM– A strong voice for South Wales East

· As Chief Whip of the party in the Assembly, William takes particular pride in the remarks of the Presiding Officer, Lord Elis-Thomas, who has described the Conservatives as being the hardest working and most industrious party in Cardiff Bay.  

· William has been fiercely critical of the Welsh Assembly Government’s handling of the Welsh Ambulance Service. Under their guidance response times in Monmouthshire and other rural areas of South East Wales are the worst in Wales and fail to reach the targets set by the Assembly. Please see the 'Press Releases' section of the website for the latest information on the issue.

· As Chairman of the School Funding Committee conducting extensive investigation into the way in which Welsh schools are funded. The recommendations were accepted by the Assembly Education Minister and many of the recommendations including three-year budgets and greater transparency of the way in which  school budgets are calculated and administered were accepted. 

· William is a member of the Assembly Commission – and, as such, has a key role in deciding how the Assembly is run.

William keeps a small flock of Suffolk sheep (T55).