Eluned Morgan confirms bid to be first minister

Eluned Morgan became health secretary during the Covid-19 pandemic

Eluned Morgan has confirmed her intention to stand in the contest to replace Vaughan Gething as Wales' first minister.

The health secretary said she was standing on a "joint unity ticket" to become Welsh Labour leader with Huw Irranca-Davies, who would serve as her deputy first minister.

She said the party needed to learn lessons from its recent acrimony, which saw Mr Gething deposed by a series of resignations.

A contest is looking increasingly unlikely, with no other Senedd politicians expected to stand.

If that is still the case by the deadline of 12:00 BST on Wednesday, Ms Morgan will become the next Welsh Labour leader.

If she is successful, Ms Morgan, who is a Labour Member of the Senedd for Mid and West Wales, would be Wales' first female first minister.

At a press conference on Monday Ms Morgan said the party had to learn lessons from the recent turmoil that led to the resgination of Vaughan Gething.

She said Mr Irranca-Davies would be her "right-hand man".

Former first minister Mark Drakeford joined those supporting Ms Morgan on Monday, saying she would be a "great campaigning leader".

If Ms Morgan is confirmed as the only candidate and the new leader, it is likely that Mr Gething will stand down much earlier than the original plan in September.

Before they become first minister the new Welsh Labour leader would need to be confirmed in a vote of the Senedd, which is in summer recess.

BBC Wales was told that discussions are taking place on recalling the Senedd between the first minister's office, Welsh Labour and the Senedd's presiding officer Elin Jones.

The Welsh government can request a recall of the Senedd from the presiding officer if it believes one is required. It is understood such a request would be granted if it was made.

On Tuesday the Welsh Conservatives called for a recall of the Senedd to go ahead.

Mr Gething was forced to resign last week after three ministers and his chief legal adviser quit at the same time.

He had faced months of controversy over campaign donations, and had lost a vote of confidence during the general election campaign.

Vaughan Gething resigned last week after mounting pressure

Ms Morgan said she had the "strong endorsement" from the majority of the group of 30 Welsh Labour Senedd members.

So far 15 have publicly declared their intention to back Ms Morgan by the time of the announcement.

Among them are three of the people who forced Mr Gething to resign by quitting the government on Tuesday, including former minister Julie James, former counsel general Mick Antoniw and Neath MS Jeremy Miles.

The tally takes her well over the threshold of six nominations required to be a candidate.

Mr Miles had been expected to run his own campaign and had narrowly lost to Mr Gething in the last contest.

Eluned Morgan launched her candidacy with Huw Irranca-Davies at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show

At a press conference at the Royal Welsh show on Monday, Ms Morgan vowed to restore the relationship between the public and Welsh Labour.

She said neither herself or Mr Irranca-Davies "belong to any faction in the party, we haven't picked sides".

"We do belong to the great Welsh Labour radical tradition, which has shaped our party and the country since the start of devolution," she said.

"If elected as the next Welsh Labour leader, it's clear. We need to learn lessons from recent weeks."

She said it was "high time" Wales had a female leader.

Asked to explain how the arrangement would work, Ms Morgan said it was "partly a response to the current situation".

"The situation we find ourselves in this summer demonstrates the fact there is a necessity to stand forward and stand up if there is a particular crisis," she said.

She said she wanted to share leadership "not just with Huw - obviously Huw will be the right hand man".

'Great campaigning leader'

Mr Drakeford said: "Eluned will be a great campaigning leader of the Welsh Labour party, taking our message to all corners of Wales, working in partnership with our UK Labour government, reminding people why they have supported Welsh Labour in the past and preparing the ground to persuade them to do so again in 2026."

The former first minister refrained from supporting anyone in the last leadership contest.

What is a joint-unity ticket?

No Welsh Labour leadership candidate has ever run before on a "joint" ticket.

Ms Morgan is saying her candidacy will bring someone else with her - promising to make Huw Irranca-Davies her deputy.

It is an effort to show that Eluned Morgan is trying to bring the group together - with Mr Irranca-Davies having backed Jeremy Miles at the last contest.

The deputy role has existed before but it has only been given to opposition parties working in coalition with the Labour party, such as the Welsh Liberal Democrats or Plaid Cymru.

It is also an attempt to formalise arrangements for who provides cover when the first minister is away on business or is on sick leave.

'Rocky 18 months'

Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies criticised the "track record" of Ms Morgan at the helm of the Welsh NHS.

"Only last Thursday we had waiting times come out that indicated we've got the worst waiting times of any part of the United Kingdom," he said.

"So if that's really the best that Labour can come out with then we're in for a rocky 18 months up until the Senedd elections of 2026."

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Labour's focus is "squarely on party management" after weeks of "infighting".

"The absence of a policy platform can only mean one thing – more of the same tired ideas and outdated thinking which has led to Wales languishing at the bottom of economic, health and educational league tables after 25 years of Labour in power," he added.

Other Labour MSs who have declared their support for Eluned Morgan are: Jack Sargeant, Joyce Watson, Mike Hedges, Dawn Bowden, Vikki Howells, Jayne Bryant, Lynne Neagle, Hefin David, Sarah Murphy and Julie Morgan.

Additional reporting by Mark Palmer.