Baroness Eluned Morgan set to be new Welsh First Minister and first woman to lead Wales

24 July 2024, 13:59 | Updated: 24 July 2024, 14:05

Eluned Morgan is set to become the new leader of Welsh Labour and the likely first minister of Wales, after no other candidates entered the race.

She will replace Vaughan Gething, who announced his resignation last week after a torrid four months in office, featuring rows over donations and sacked ministers.

Baroness Morgan, 57, the current Welsh health minister, was the only contender to be the Welsh Labour Party's new leader as nominations closed at midday on Wednesday.

Once confirmed she will be the first woman to lead the Welsh Government.

Baroness Morgan does not automatically become Welsh Labour leader, with the party's procedures committee to meet first.

A decision from the committee is expected later today.

The race to replace the First Minister began after four members of his government quit en masse last week, criticising his leadership.

Mr Gething then announced he was standing down having only taken over as leader in March.

During the last leadership race Mr Gething took a £200,000 donation for his leadership campaign from a company owned by a man twice convicted of environmental offences, which led to some members of his own party criticising his judgment.

Last month Mr Gething lost a vote of no confidence in the Senedd, after rows over the donation, and his decision to sack Delyn MS Ms Blythyn as a minister.

Read more: Vaughan Gething to quit as Welsh First Minister

Baroness Morgan has been the Senedd member for Mid and West Wales since 2016 and a peer in the House of Lords since 2011.

She is currently listed as being on a leave of absence in the Lords.

From 1994 to 2009 Baroness Morgan was a member of the European Parliament.

All the other potential candidates who were expected to run in the Labour leadership race threw their support behind Baroness Morgan, who has promoted herself as a "unity candidate".

This includes Jeremy Miles, who ran against Mr Gething in the last leadership race and was one of the four people to quit his government last week.

Mr Miles made a surprise move by becoming the first person to publicly endorse Baroness Morgan on Sunday before she had officially announced her candidacy.

Read more: Four members of Welsh government quit amid calls for First Minister Vaughan Gething to resign

Labour's ruling body had originally set a timeline of having a new Labour leader in place on September 14, with them taking over as first minister on September 18.

Baroness Morgan won the support of the majority of the Labour group, with few MSs, including Hannah Blythyn and outgoing First Minister Vaughan Gething not having indicated support for anyone.

While she is expected to be formally announced as party leader, Baroness Morgan would not immediately become first minister, with that requiring a confirmation vote in the Senedd.

The Welsh Parliament is currently on recess until September, and it would need to be recalled for her to take over sooner.

That will not happen until the conclusion of the Labour leadership contest and current First Minister Mr Gething tenders his resignation to the King.

The Llywydd (presiding officer) Elin Jones, can then recall the Senedd, providing adequate notice for members to attend.

Members can vote remotely, providing they are in the UK.

Read more: Welsh First Minister emotional as he loses confidence vote

Welsh Conservatives have already said they will be asking the Llywydd for a recall if Baroness Morgan wins, with party leader Andrew RT Davies saying this would "give Wales greater stability".

But Plaid Cymru has repeatedly called for a snap election with party leader Rhun ap Iorwerth insisting that Baroness Morgan's leadership will be "more of the same".

He said: "Eluned Morgan will today become the third Labour leader in Wales in three months.

"She knows that for Welsh Government to have legitimacy in such circumstances, a fresh election is needed, as Labour themselves called for when both UK and Scottish governments went through successive leadership changes.

"But they won't allow an election, and will do all they can, including teaming up with the Conservatives, to stop that happening, it seems."

Mr RT Davies has previously branded calls for a snap Senedd election "hot-headed".

If an election was held, Senedd rules mean another one would have to be held in 2026.