Eluned Morgan has this morning been voted in as the new Welsh First Minister – the first woman ever to hold the position. The Labour member for Mid and West Wales was unopposed for the nomination within her party and won 28 votes out of a possible 60. The Conservatives’ Andrew RT Davies got 15 votes; Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth 12. She confirmed Huw Irranca-Davies as her deputy, adding: ‘They used to say behind every successful man is a woman: on this occasion, there will be an impressive man behind a woman.’
Morgan is already facing trouble from other parties within the Senedd
Members of the Senedd were recalled from summer recess for the vote, which came after former first minister Vaughan Gething was forced to step down last month – lasting just 118 days in the job. Gething, Wales’s shortest-serving FM, was dogged throughout his time in office by a row over a £200,000 donation accepted during his leadership campaign and his decision to sack a cabinet minister, alleging that she was the source of a story about him deleting messages from a group chat during the pandemic.
Morgan, who became the youngest member of the European parliament in 1994, aged just 27, said: ‘It is the greatest pleasure and privilege of my life to stand before you as the first woman to become First Minister of Wales. As I take up the mantle of leadership I promise to honour [Gething’s] achievements and add my own contributions to this legacy – perhaps with a splash of colour: the grey suits are out.’
She added: ‘For women watching today, you need to know your potential is limitless. The path to leadership is not now just a possibility, it’s a reality.’ Her election as leader marks the first time a part of Labour has been fronted by a woman.
Though Morgan’s path to the leadership has been relatively smooth, she is already facing trouble from other parties within the Senedd. Plaid Cymru is asking for an election after a ‘revolving door of first ministers’ in the country while Welsh Tory leader Davies said that, based on her record, there is not much reason to think she can deliver for the country, adding: ‘More Labour failure is the last thing Wales needs.’ As she rebuilds trust following a turbulent time in Welsh politics, Morgan could be in for a bumpy ride.
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