Eluned Morgan to be first female Welsh first minister
Eluned Morgan is aiming to start a fresh chapter for Welsh Labour.
Sir Keir Starmer is pleased to announce that Eluned Morgan has been confirmed as the leader of Welsh Labour and will be the next first minister of the country.
The 57-year-old woman from Wales who is in charge of health services in the country will now also take on the role of the first woman to do both jobs. This comes after no other Labour politician in the Senedd group chose to compete against her for the position.
The competition was sparked by Vaughan Gething stepping down after four key politicians in his administration resigned.
Ms Morgan, who will become the third leader of the Welsh government this year, has pledged to bring together the divided Welsh Labour party, which has been dealing with internal disagreements since Mr Gething took office in March.
During her initial conversation with the BBC, she expressed that Labour should apologize to Wales for the prolonged period of chaos.
The Welsh Conservatives stated that Ms. Morgan had been crowned, whereas Plaid Cymru commented on the election revealing the "chaos" within Labour.
The party officially recognized her leadership on Wednesday, as she was the sole candidate nominated.
Eluned Morgan: Can you identify the unfamiliar first minister?
The politician was born in Cardiff and used to work as a Member of the European Parliament. They are now a life peer and have been representing Mid and West Wales as an MS since 2016.
Ms Morgan, who has been in charge of the Welsh health service since the last Senedd election, has pledged to bring together the divided Welsh Labour faction, which has been plagued by disagreements since Mr. Gething was elected last March.
Huw Irranca-Davies, who backed Jeremy Miles instead of Mr Gething in the previous election, is likely to become her second-in-command.
Vaughan Gething took over from Mark Drakeford, who had served as first minister since 2018.
Ms Morgan expressed her deep gratitude for being chosen through the election.
"When we promised to work together, we were sincere - and that is how we will guide our actions."
In an interview with BBC Wales, Ms. Morgan stated the significance of offering an apology to the people of Wales.
"We haven't done a good job lately," she expressed.
"But this is about starting fresh."
Without a doubt, Ms. Morgan has not outlined her plans as the future first minister.
She committed to hearing from the public: "Instead of us deciding what to do, we will let the people of Wales decide what is important to us.
I think they would prefer a more robust economy than what we currently have, with an emphasis on high-quality, environmentally friendly employment opportunities.
I think they want an NHS that functions more efficiently, higher education standards, improved buses and transportation.
She mentioned that people from outside of Wales are coming in to see how the NHS is handling its long waiting lists.
When questioned about relinquishing her peerage, she replied that she had not visited the House of Lords "in a long time".
I want to be able to take a break from the relationship and have the chance to consider what might happen in the future.
Eluned Morgan has served as a Member of the Senedd (MS) for the Mid and West Wales region since 2016.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his excitement over Eluned's election as Welsh Labour leader and her candidacy for first minister, noting that it is great news for Wales and the Labour Party.
Eluned comes with a lot of experience and a proven record of success. She is making history as the first female leader of Welsh Labour.
Rhun ap Iorwerth from Plaid Cymru commented that the frequent changing of leaders within the governing party reflects a lot of chaos and instability within the party.
He criticized her performance as health minister, stating that during Eluned Morgan's time in government, there have been record high waiting lists and a failure to address the major issues facing the NHS.
Andrew RT Davies, who leads the Welsh Conservative party in the Senedd, said: "I want to congratulate Eluned Morgan for being the first woman to lead Welsh Labour, and if approved by the Senedd, she will be Wales' first female first minister."
He stated that she has managed the "most severe Welsh NHS waiting lists ever documented".
"The baroness received the crown at the coronation, and Prince Charming was by her side," he said.
Eluned Morgan became the youngest member of the European Parliament in 1994 when she was elected.
What Comes After Today?
Even though it's been confirmed that she will be the new Welsh Labour leader, all 60 MSs must participate in a formal vote before she can officially become the first minister.
After realizing there was only one person running in the election, it became clear that Mr. Gething might step down sooner than expected, resulting in the Senedd having to be called back into session.
Earlier this week, BBC Wales was informed that talks have taken place between the office of the first minister, Welsh Labour, and the Senedd.
The Senedd would need a formal request from the Welsh government in order to reconvene during the recess period.
Even though it is likely that the request will be approved, no definite plans have been finalized and a date for the recall has not been set.
The situation would become more complex if some team members are traveling overseas on vacation.
It is unclear how a vote would proceed if the circumstances surrounding the 60 Members of the Scottish Parliament remained the same.
Every member must vocally state their choice for the position of first minister during the vote.
In theory, the group that is against Ms. Morgan - having exactly half the members in the Senedd - could stop her confirmation by supporting a single candidate.
However, it is unlikely to occur and Labour will have enough votes to officially appoint their new leader.
Jane Dodds, a member of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, intends to refrain from voting, whereas the Conservative and Plaid Cymru parties are planning to put forward their own leaders for nomination.
