Eluned Morgan to replace Gething as Welsh Labour First Minister unopposed

Eluned Morgan has been elected unopposed as the new leader of Welsh Labour and will soon become the Welsh First Minister – the first woman to hold either role.

Morgan – who currently serves as Cabinet Secretary for Health, Social Care and Welsh Language – was formally confirmed as the new Welsh Labour leader this afternoon.

Morgan said she was “truly honoured” to become the first woman to lead Welsh Labour, while Prime Minister Keir Starmer said her election “is fantastic news for Wales and for the Labour Party”.

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Morgan was the only candidate to have publicly received nominations from Welsh Labour colleagues in the Senedd, with the deadline for official nominations having passed at midday today.

BBC News reported earlier this week that at least 26 of the 30 Labour MSs were known to be supporting Morgan, including former First Minister Mark Drakeford and previous leadership candidate Jeremy Miles.

The brief leadership contest followed Vaughan Gething’s resignation as party leader earlier this month amid controversy over a campaign donation. The First Minister lost a no-confidence vote in the Senedd in June and faced four cabinet minister resignations in the hours before he announced he would be stepping down.

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Following her confirmation as leader, 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’ 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.”

READ MORE: ‘Welsh Labour is right to unite behind Eluned Morgan, but big headaches loom’

BBC News reports that a formal roll vote of all 60 MSs is required to confirm the new First Minister, meaning Morgan will not immediately become First Minister, as the Senedd is currently on summer recess.

A veteran politician in Welsh Labour, Morgan’s electoral career started in 1994, when she won a seat in the European Parliament at the age of just 27. At the time, Morgan was only the fifth woman to have been elected to a full-time position in politics in the history of Wales, according to the Welsh Government.

She later entered the House of Lords in 2011, where she was given the title of Baroness Morgan of Ely, and was subsequently elected to the Senedd (then called the Welsh Assembly) in 2016.

Morgan has served as a Welsh government minister under three different First Ministers – Carwyn Jones, Mark Drakeford and Vaughan Gething. She previously stood for the Welsh Labour leadership in 2018, when she finished third.

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Commenting on Morgan’s election, Starmer said: “Eluned’s election as Welsh Labour Leader and candidacy for First Minister is fantastic news for Wales and for the Labour Party.

“Eluned brings with her a wealth of experience and track record of delivery, and as the first woman to lead Welsh Labour, she is already making history.

“Just three weeks ago, people across Wales voted overwhelmingly for a changed Labour Party to lead a government in Westminster.

“We have a been given a strong mandate to deliver change for working people, and I look forward to working hand-in-hand with Eluned to deliver on our promises to Wales and Britain.”

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