Eluned Morgan has been confirmed as the new leader of Welsh Labour and is to become the first female first minister of Wales.
Lady Morgan, 57, the health secretary in the Labour-led Welsh government, was the only candidate to put herself forward to replace Vaughan Gething.
The Senedd, the Welsh parliament, is expected to be recalled from recess for Morgan to be appointed as first minister. She will be Labour’s first female head of state in the UK.
Morgan said: “I am truly honoured to become the first woman to lead Welsh Labour and to be put forward as our party’s nominee to become the next first minister of Wales.
“At this pivotal time for our country, strength, stability, and unity will be my guiding principles. I want to ensure that everyone in Wales has the opportunity and ability to fulfil their potential.
“Huw Irranca-Davies and I stood proudly as a partnership, and we are delighted to have received the overwhelming support of Welsh Labour MS’s and support from across Wales and the wider Labour movement.
“When we pledged unity, we meant it – and that is how we will lead. Working with colleagues across the Senedd and standing shoulder to shoulder with Keir Starmer’s UK Labour government, my focus will be on improving the things that matter most for everyone in our great country.
“Through my leadership, Wales – and what is best for our country – will always come above all else.”
Morgan has promised to unify the party after a torrid four months during which Gething was caught up in a scandal over donations he received for his leadership campaign.
Morgan has said she will make Irranca-Davies, who supported Gething’s only rival for the job of Welsh leader, Jeremy Miles, as her deputy first minister.
The next major step is for the Senedd to be recalled so that Morgan can be – she hopes – be confirmed as first minister. The vote to select a first minister is carried out by roll-call. Members are asked one by one to announce their vote orally. A complication is that members are not allowed to vote from outside the UK, which could be a problem for members away on their summer holidays.
It may also be that other parties put forward their leaders for consideration but Labour holds 30 of the 60 seats, which should be enough for Morgan to be confirmed, especially as the sole Liberal Democrat in the parliament, Jane Dodds, has said she will abstain.
Andrew RT Davies, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, has had a dig at Morgan’s peerage and the Senedd member she has chosen as her deputy.
Davies said: “The baroness has picked up the crown at the coronation, with Prince Charming as her deputy. Eluned Morgan has presided over the worst Welsh NHS waiting lists on record, so the question must be asked, is this really the best that Labour can do?
“If her lack of delivery in Wales’s NHS is replicated across the Welsh economy and education system then Wales is going to be a lot worse off in the future.
“The 2026 Senedd election can’t come soon enough to give Wales the change it desperately needs to unlock the hope and opportunity that will build a new and stronger Wales.”
The leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth, has called for a Senedd election to be called. He said: “The fact that she is the third leader in three months speaks volumes about the turmoil at the heart of the governing party.
“The direct legacy of Eluned Morgan’s time in government so far is record high waiting lists and an inability to get to grips with the significant challenges with the NHS.
“Eluned Morgan should but won’t call an election, so whilst Labour continue to fight amongst themselves, Plaid Cymru is focused on offering a real alternative that people in all parts of Wales can unite behind.”
Morgan was granted a peerage in 2011 and has sat in the House of Lords and the European parliament as well as the Senedd. The Welsh Conservative leader, Andrew RT Davies, described her appointment as a “baroness picking up a crown”.
Morgan began her career in frontline politics in 1994 as the youngest member of the European parliament, at 27. She entered the Senedd in 2016.
Morgan last stood for the Welsh Labour leadership in 2018, when Mark Drakeford became first minister. She has been in charge of health in Wales since 2021 and she supported Gething in the last leadership contest.
Gething announced his resignation last week when four senior members of the Welsh government quit.
Post a Comment