Steffan Lewis

Steffan Lewis (30 May 1984 – 11 January 2019) was a Welsh politician, who was elected to the National Assembly for Wales in the 2016 election. He represented the electoral region of South Wales East, as a member of Plaid Cymru.

In December 2017, Lewis was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer. He died on 11 January 2019, aged 34.

Early life Steffan Lewis was brought up in a bilingual household in Crosskeys and Tredegar. He first attended Swffryd Primary School in Blaenau Gwent before moving to the Welsh-medium primary school Ysgol Gymraeg Cwm Gwyddon in Abercarn and later Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw in Pontypool.

He first became interested in politics with the 1995 Islwyn by-election, and became an active Plaid Cymru campaigner at the 1999 Welsh assembly election. He then worked with the party in the National Assembly for Wales, and wrote speeches for Leanne Wood during her leadership of the party.

In 2015, he was chosen as the top candidate for Plaid Cymru in the South East Wales region and was elected to the National Assembly for Wales in the 2016 election as its youngest-ever member.

He died at Ystrad Fawr Hospital in Ystrad Mynach on 11 January 2019. Tributes were paid to him from all parties in the Assembly.

Adam Price, leader of Plaid Cymru said:

He was succeeded by Delyth Jewell, who had been second on Plaid's list in the region at the 2016 election.

His funeral was scheduled for 25 January at St Luke's Church, Abercarn, followed by burial at the local cemetery.

Personal life Lewis married Shona, who is from Inverness, in 2009. They lived in Blackwood and had a son, Celyn, aged three years at the time of his father's death. He was a noted fan of Celtic Football Club.

Offices held