Labour must try harder to back women leaders - Eluned Morgan

Eluned Morgan stood to be first minister in 2018, coming third

Health Minister Eluned Morgan says Labour needs to try harder to avoid a repeat of the upcoming Welsh leadership election where no woman is standing for the top job.

She spoke as it was confirmed two men - Vaughan Gething and Jeremy Miles - will be the candidates running to replace Mark Drakeford as next first minister.

Ms Morgan had ruled herself out, saying her current job is challenging enough.

Mr Drakeford triggered the contest by confirming when he will stand down.

Party members will choose between Mr Gething and Mr Miles in a ballot held in February and March.

Their status as candidates had been expected after both men won significant support from Labour Senedd politicians, with Mr Miles in the lead with 16 supporters and Mr Gething with 10.

There had been expectations that Ms Morgan or Deputy Social Partnership Minister Hannah Blythyn might put their names forward, and that they might be backed by the left of the party, but in the end neither did.

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There have been four first ministers since the Welsh assembly - now Welsh Parliament - was created in 1999, and all have been men.

Ms Morgan, who is backing Mr Gething, stood for the top job the last time there was a contest in 2018, coming third.

She got on the ballot paper that time when outgoing First Minister Carwyn Jones nominated her to ensure it was not an all-male race, after she struggled to get the five names required.

Only two men, Vaughan Gething and Jeremy Miles, will be on the leadership ballot

She told BBC Wales she was "really disappointed that there's not a female candidate".

"I think we've got to have a really concerted effort now to think: how do we avoid this situation in future? How do we mentor people so that they are prepared and ready for for that top job?

"We probably don't do enough of that within the Labour Party. It's very disappointing, [more than] 20 years into devolution."

She said there were "two impressive candidates". She praised Mr Gething's experience in handling the pandemic and said he had been "very, very supportive" of her while she was health minister.

"There's a lot of empathy for anybody who's been health minister. They understand the kind of pressures and it's a lonely job."

She said she was "not sure" she could have taken on the first minister brief herself. "It's a huge job. This job is challenging enough."

Candidates needed at least five supporters, or two Senedd members and substantial support in the party grassroots or in trade union, to get on the ballot.

Mr Gething is the current economy minister. The former solicitor and ex-president of the Wales TUC was elected to the Senedd in 2011, representing Cardiff South and Penarth.

Mr Gething was runner-up in the 2018 leadership election, when he was beaten by Mr Drakeford, and was health minister during the pandemic.

He said he was "deeply honoured to be on the ballot".

Mr Miles is education minister.

Elected in 2016, he was appointed to the cabinet as counsel general in November 2017 and went on to be Brexit minister until he took on the education brief in 2021.

He said he was "hugely grateful for the support".

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