FIRST minister Carwyn Jones has appointed his new cabinet with ministerial jobs for Blaenau Gwent's Alun Davies and Liberal Democrat Kirsty Williams.

The first minister called new education secretary Kirsty Williams one of the assembly’s “most able politicians” but denied her place in the cabinet meant a coalition government. He said: "Both of us are very clear about that – as are our parties."

Gwent AM Mr Davies was made minister for lifelong learning and Welsh language, the equivalent level of the last assembly cabinet’s deputy minister after a shake-up in the job titles. Ministers have been renamed ‘secretaries’ and deputy ministers are now ‘ministers’.

Mr Davies was last in cabinet in 2014 as minister for natural resources and food but was dismissed for breaking the ministerial code.

Vaughan Gething was promoted to health, wellbeing and sport secretary. Mark Drakeford was made finance and local government secretary, Lesley Griffiths for environment and rural affairs, Carl Sargeant for communities and children and Jane Hutt as chief whip and leader of the house.

Julie James is the new minister for skills and science and Rebecca Evans was appointed minister for social sciences and public health.

Ken Skates, AM for Clwyd South, was named secretary for the economy and infrastructure. Business organisation the CBI welcomed his appointment but urged Mr Skates to push ahead with the M4 relief road proposed black route as a priority.

Introducing his new cabinet, the first minister said: “This is a new era for Welsh politics, and today’s agreement reflects the need for Wales’ progressive politicians to work together.

“I said in my statement to the assembly this week that no one party has a monopoly on good ideas, and I am committed to working across party boundaries for the good of Wales.”

Kirsty Williams agreed the government in Wales has “entered a new era”.

She said: “I agree with the first minister that no one party has a monopoly on good ideas. Working together we have reached agreement on a range of issue that enables us to work together in government for the good of Wales.”

But Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said the new cabinet reads like a “who’s who of Cardiff Bay bubble Labour has-beens” and offers little hope for the next five years.

He said none of the new minister have the track record to offer solutions and also attacked the appointment of Alun Davies, calling it “troubling given his less than scrupulous record of conduct in office”.

“Going forward, I hope that he shows more interest in lifelong learning and the Welsh language than he did for opposition members’ finances in the last assembly.”

Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood wished the new ministers well but warned there would be consequences if they failed to deliver.

She said: “Yesterday, I warned the newly-elected first minister that if Labour’s sense of entitlement and complacency in government continued then Plaid Cymru would not be afraid to stand up to them in our role as official opposition.”