Eluned Morgan likely to become Wales' first female leader

Picture credit belongs to Getty Images.

It is predicted that no one will challenge Eluned Morgan for the position of Welsh Labour leader.

It seems likely that Eluned Morgan will be the next leader of Welsh Labour and the first female first minister of Wales, as she has received the backing of almost all of her party's Senedd members.

There are no other candidates running to take over Vaughan Gething's position in the competition, which closes at 12:00 BST on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Ken Skates decided not to run for office and instead supported Ms. Morgan.

She must be approved as the first minister by a vote in the Senedd. The Senedd is currently on a break, but may need to reconvene for a special meeting if Mr. Gething decides to officially step down before the parliament reconvenes in September.

The health secretary announced on Monday that she would be running on a "joint unity ticket" alongside Huw Irranca-Davies, who will be her deputy first minister.

Ms Morgan was raised in Ely, Cardiff, and worked as a Member of the European Parliament from 1994 to 2009.

Appointed as a life peer in 2011, she was elected to the Senedd in 2016 to represent the Mid and West Wales area.

Around 25 out of the 30 Labour Members of the Senedd are reportedly backing her, including former first minister Mark Drakeford.

Ken Skates, who was a key supporter of Mr Gething and served as his co-chair during his leadership campaign, sided with Ms Morgan's backers on Tuesday.

The Member of the Senedd for Clwyd South was thinking about running for a new position, but BBC Wales was informed that he was viewed as too aligned with the current first minister to enter the race.

The main enforcer, Jane Hutt, was supposed to stay out of the nomination process, but on Tuesday she announced her backing for Ms. Morgan.

Llanelli Member of the Senedd Lee Waters, who has openly disagreed with Vaughan Gething and has advocated for a party competition, is unlikely to put forward a candidate.

He expressed his belief that Eluned will continue unchallenged and he hopes she does well. He appreciates the significant public service she is willing to undertake.

She already has enough nominations, and it would be hypocritical of me to nominate her after arguing for a fair contest and debate. Instead, I will support her in any way I can.

It is unclear what the plans are for former First Minister Vaughan Gething, as well as Hannah Blythyn and Lesley Griffiths.

What Made Jeremy Miles Quit?

Authored by Cemlyn Davies, political correspondent for BBC Wales

The health secretary was able to secure the top position after Jeremy Miles surprised everyone by announcing on Sunday that he would not be running and would be supporting Ms. Morgan instead.

After a close loss in the previous election, Mr. Miles was ready to run again at the end of last week.

He already had a team ready for the campaign and secured donors who were carefully chosen.

Additionally, many of his coworkers were reportedly prepared to endorse him in order to ensure his name appeared on the ballot.

Someone who is close to Mr. Miles mentioned that the backing for him among the voters has remained strong since the last race, making it very probable that he will emerge victorious in a leadership competition.

I heard that things were different on Saturday, after Mr. Miles thought more about the hostility towards him from some of Vaughan Gething's closest supporters. They believe he played a role in Gething's downfall.

Mr Miles is worried that a few Labour MSs might cause problems for him and that the party could end up in a similar situation once more.

Mr. Miles talked to Ms. Morgan on Saturday and was convinced by her "unity ticket" proposal. He assured her that he would support her if she chose to run.

And then, within the next 24 hours, after Ms. Morgan's interview on the BBC's Politics Wales show on Sunday morning, a statement from Jeremy Miles was quickly released, setting the stage for what was to come.

Lessons To Be Learned

During a public event at the Royal Welsh Show on Monday, Ms Morgan expressed the importance of reflecting on recent challenges within the party that ultimately resulted in Vaughan Gething stepping down. She emphasized the need to mend ties between Welsh Labour and the public.

She and Rural Affairs Secretary Huw Irranca-Davies both stated that they do not align with any specific group within the party, and they have not chosen sides.

"We are part of the long-standing and influential Welsh Labour radical legacy, which has had a significant impact on our party and the nation since the beginning of devolution," she stated.

"If chosen as the upcoming Welsh Labour leader, it is evident that we must take away valuable insights from the events of the past few weeks."

She stated that it was about time for Wales to have a woman leading.

Ms. Morgan defended her management of the Welsh NHS by stating that most individuals receive a great service.

"We are aware that there is work that needs to be completed, and we will increase our efforts in that area, especially if I become the leader," she said.

Picture credit, Getty Images

Vaughan Gething stepped down from his position following increasing pressure.

Vaughan Gething had to step down last week because three ministers and his top legal adviser all left their positions at the same time.

He had endured several months of backlash regarding campaign contributions and had been defeated in a vote of confidence during the election season.

Former First Minister Mark Drakeford expressed confidence in Ms. Morgan's abilities, describing her as a strong advocate and collaborator with the UK Labour government.

If Ms. Morgan is officially chosen as the sole candidate and the new leader, it is probable that Mr. Gething will resign much sooner than the initial schedule of September.

Before they can officially become the first minister, the new leader of Welsh Labour must first be approved in a vote by the Senedd. The Senedd is currently on break for the summer.

BBC Wales has learned that talks are underway to bring back the Senedd, involving the office of the first minister, Welsh Labour, and Senedd's presiding officer Elin Jones.

The Welsh government has the power to ask for a recall of the Senedd from the presiding officer if it deems it necessary. It is expected that the request would be approved if it is made.

The Welsh Conservative Party has requested a meeting of the Senedd to take place, while Plaid Cymru has stated that the best way to bring stability back to Wales is through a new Senedd election.