Cabinet Minister for Enterprise,
Connectivity and Energy
Key interests and
achievements
Adam was awarded a Fulbright
Scholarship to study at the internationally-renowned Harvard University where
he studied a Masters in Public Administration. He went on to become a Fellow at
the Centre for International Development at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of
Government.
In 2014 he won the Bronze Medal
at the New York Film and Television Festival for his documentary on the 1984/85
Miners Strike. In 2015 his four-part series was recognised with two BAFTA Cymru
Awards.
Personal history
He was born in Carmarthen into
a miner’s family and was educated at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman and then Cardiff
University where he graduated with a BSc (Econ).
Professional background
Adam is a former Managing
Director of Newidiem, a UK policy and economics consultancy, and former
Executive Director of the Welsh economic development and cultural change
agency, Menter a Busnes.
Before being elected to the
National Assembly, Adam worked as a Senior Programme Manager for a UK
Innovation Foundation.
Political history
Adam is a former Member of
Parliament, representing the Carmarthen East and Dinefwr constituency between
2001 and 2010.
A voracious opponent of the
Iraq War and Tony Blair’s role in the outbreak of war, Adam led an attempt,
alongside other Plaid Cymru and SNP members, to impeach Tony Blair. Adam was
ejected from the House of Common’s chamber on 17 March 2005 for refusing to
retract his statement accusing Tony Blair of having “misled” Parliament.
Adam initiated a three-hour
debate on an enquiry into the Iraq War, resulting in the establishment of the
Chilcot Enquiry.
During his time at the Commons
he served on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee and was Plaid Cymru’s
spokesperson for Treasury, Business, Innovation and Skills.
Adam was voted the only Welsh
MP to retain public support in the Western Mail’s online poll of MPs’ during
the expenses scandal of 2009. He was named as the 2007 BBC AM.PM Communicator
of the Year, and won the 2005 ITV Welsh Political Awards Campaigning Politician
of the Year.
