- Mark Drakeford resigns
- Leadership contest in March
- New First Minister elected
Mark Drakeford has declared his intention to resign as the leader of the Welsh Labour Party in March, after which a leadership contest will take place to select a new First Minister.
A new party leader will be elected in Wales before Easter, as stated by Mr. Drakeford.
He will remain as the First Minister until his party chooses a successor.
Mr. Drakeford, 69, a Member of the Senedd (MS) representing Cardiff West, was sworn in as First Minister precisely five years and one day ago.
Although he had planned to resign in 2024, the timing of his declaration came as a shock.
It occurs one week before the Welsh government’s expenditure plan announcement for the following year, which ministers have warned will be “extremely challenging.”
Mr. Drakeford, speaking at a press conference in the Welsh Parliament that was hastily organized, stated: “During my leadership campaign, I pledged to serve for five years if elected. It has been precisely five years since my inauguration as the First Minister in 2018.
He stated that leading the Welsh Labour Party and the government had been an “extraordinary honor.”
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As his response to the Covid-19 pandemic diverged from that of Boris Johnson’s Conservative government in the United Kingdom, Mr. Drakeford was met with both acclaim and censure. Under his leadership, Labour won the 2021 Senedd election.
Additional policies that sparked controversy included:
- Theorizing a default 20mph speed limit in Wales, abandon.
- Significant road-building initiatives, and refusing to.
The demands for a Covid inquiry are limited to Wales.
- The demise of his
Earlier this year, House, Clare, sparked heightened conjecture regarding his potential retirement.
Before that, he served as a special adviser to the late Rhodri Morgan, one of his predecessors as First Minister. In 2011, Mr. Drakeford deposed Mr. Morgan as MS for Cardiff West.
Education Minister Jeremy Miles and Economy Minister Vaughan Gething are probable frontrunners to succeed.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak paid homage to Mr. Drakeford in the House of Commons.
He stated, “I am certain that everyone will want to join me in extending my best wishes to Mark Drakeford as he concludes his countless years of dedicated public service.”
“Actual titan”
According to British Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Mark Drakeford is a “true titan” in Welsh and Labour politics.
He stated that Mark has established a distinct standard for public service in British politics by always putting others before himself.
Rhun ap Iorwerth, leader of Plaid Cymru, stated that the announcement by Mark Drakeford signified “the end of a political era in Wales.”
He stated, “I don’t believe anyone was anticipating this.”
Carwyn Jones, the first minister who preceded Mr. Drakeford, stated that he believed the party leader had “decided long in advance” and that the first minister wished to prevent a campaign from coinciding with the Westminster election.
He stated on Radio Cymru’s Dros Ginio program: “Should he procrastinate too far into the year, there is a possibility that a Labour leadership contest would coincide with an election campaign, which would be unattractive to the public. That certainly must be on his mind.”
Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservative Senedd, also wished Mr. Drakeford well.
He stated, “Although we may have different goals for Wales, I know that my colleagues and I hold his commitment to the position of First Minister in the highest regard.”
“During his tenure as First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford exemplified public service and duty,” said Jo Stevens, the shadow Welsh secretary for the Labour Party.
Drakeford’s Exit Reflections and Leadership Succession
Regarding his tenure in office, Mr. Drakeford refrained from extensive introspection in his resignation letter.
“After I vacate my position as First Minister, political obituaries and introspection will have ample time to flourish. However, not beforehand,” he stated.
He remarked that he was extraordinarily fortunate to have been involved in Welsh politics for the initial quarter-century of devolution.
He stated that none of that would have been feasible without the consistent support and enormous effort of his talented cabinet colleagues and successive Labour groups.
At this juncture, anticipation turns to the forthcoming five years of devolution throughout the United Kingdom and the subsequent twenty-five years in Wales.
He made it clear that he will maintain “complete concentration” on the forthcoming budget and the forthcoming hearings of the Covid inquiry in Wales.
What rules will govern the Welsh Labour leadership election?
The announcement made by Mr. Drakeford ignites a candidate contest for the presidency of Welsh Labour.
Participation will be limited to Labour MSs; however, two evident frontrunners are already poised to launch their leadership campaigns.
Vaughan Gething, the Economy Minister, has represented Cardiff South and Penarth since 2011.
He served as health minister throughout the pandemic and placed second in the most recent leadership election 2018.
Prospective Candidates and Leadership Process Details
The initial election of Education Minister Jeremy Miles occurred in 2016. Before this, he held the positions of counsel general and minister of Brexit.
The name of Health Minister Eluned Morgan is invariably brought up whenever the next First Minister is discussed. Additionally, she ran for leadership in 2018.
Minister of Climate Change Julie James and Deputy Minister of Social Partnership Hannah Blythyn are two additional prospective candidates.
The precise workings of the process have yet to be determined.
Wednesday evening, the governing Welsh Executive Committee of the party will convene to initiate the procedure.
A combination of nominations from Labour Senedd members, local Labour groups, and affiliate organizations will likely be required of candidates.
Mr. Gething and Mr. Miles both paid homage to Mr. Drakeford.
As the group contemplates the future, Mr. Miles expressed confidence that we shall uphold Mark’s legacy.
Mr. Drakeford “still has a tremendous role to play in Welsh public life,” according to Mr. Gething.
Wednesday marked “business as usual” in the Senedd, according to its presiding officer, as it was the final day of parliamentary debates before the conclusion of the Christmas term.
She stated that a First Minister answered the First Minister’s questions yesterday and will do so at our January meeting.
In the meantime, we thank Mark for his good management of the Welsh government. We eagerly anticipate his concluding months in office in the coming year.
