Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford has on Wednesday announced he is standing down as Labour leader, triggering the contest to find his successor.
The 69-year-old Labour politician, who has been Wales’s leader since December 2018, said he hoped his replacement could be in place before Easter 2024.
Mr Drakeford was first elected to the Senedd in 2011 as the Member for Cardiff West.
He served in various ministerial roles from 2013 under the leadership of Carwyn Jones, before succeeding him as First Minister and Welsh Labour leader in 2018.
He has suffered a slump in poll ratings and has come under fire for policies including the widespread use of 20mph limits on Welsh roads.
A YouGov poll of 1,004 Welsh voters for ITV Cymru Wales and Cardiff University this month found his popularity is at an 18-month low, with 56 per cent believing he is doing a bad job of being First Minister.
Why did Mark Drakeford resign?
Mr Drakeford said it had always been his intention to hold the post of Welsh Labour leader for just five years.
The death of his wife, Clare, this year, also prompted speculation that he might decide to retire.
Mark Drakeford’s resignation statement in full
“I have today formally notified the chair of the Welsh Executive Committee of my intention to stand down as Leader of Welsh Labour in March 2024.
“When I stood for the leadership, I said that, if elected, I would serve for five years. Exactly five years have passed since I was confirmed as First Minister in 2018.
“Nominations for my successor as Welsh Labour Leader will open shortly.
“The process will be concluded by the end of the spring term, to enable the name of the winner to be put to the Senedd before the Easter recess.
“In the meantime, I remain your First Minister. We have a busy few months ahead of us – full of major events and challenges, which I will be fully focused on:
- A child poverty strategy
- The final report of the independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales
- The future of steel-making in Wales
- The conclusion of consultations about making council tax fairer and the reform of the school year
- Module 2B of the Covid-19 UK Inquiry
- Co-operation Agreement commitments to deliver
- And a Budget to pass.
“There will be plenty of time for political obituaries and retrospection once I cease to be First Minister.
“But not before.
“In a five-year period, which has seen Wales deal with austerity, Brexit, the covid pandemic, the climate crisis, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and four different Prime Ministers – so far – there will be lots to reflect on.
“For now, I will continue to deliver on the promises we made to people across Wales.
“The next Welsh Labour Leader and First Minister will, I hope, have the opportunity, which has not come my way, to work with a newly-elected Labour Government in London.
“I will work as hard as I can to see that Labour Government elected.
“It has been a huge privilege to lead both the Welsh Labour party and the Welsh Government.
“I have also had the enormous fortune to have played a part in Welsh politics during the first quarter century of devolution.
“None of that would have been possible without the consistent support and enormous hard work of my talented Cabinet colleagues and successive Labour groups.
“Now it is time to look forward to the next five years across the UK and to the next 25 years of devolution in Wales.
“That journey begins today.”
What has been the response to Mark Drakeford’s resignation?
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wished Mr Drakeford “all the best as he moves on from his many years of public service”.
“We will continue to work closely with the Welsh Government to build on our joint work to spread opportunity for people across Wales,” Mr Sunak said.
UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Drakeford was a “titan” of Welsh politics.
“Mark has set a clear standard for public service in UK politics, always putting others before himself,” Sir Keir said.
“During his five years as First Minister, against a backdrop of austerity, instability in Westminster and navigating the pandemic, he has delivered for Wales with steely determination and quiet authority.
“Above all, Mark is a kind and decent man, who lives his Labour values.
“A proud Welshman, Wales too can be proud of Mark, for his fight for working people. He’s a true titan of Welsh and Labour politics. It has been a pleasure to work alongside him and we all wish him the very best for his retirement.”
Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said: “I wish Mark well as he stands down from the helm.
“While we may have different visions for Wales, I know I’m joined by colleagues in holding a huge amount of respect for his dedication to the job of first minister.
“It’s important, however, with this announcement that there is no distraction from the really important job of delivering for the people of Wales. Labour politicians jockeying for the role of first minister must not detract from this.”
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth paid tribute to Mr Drakeford’s “dedication to public life” and the “tone of his leadership” during the pandemic.
But he added: “When he took office, the First Minister spoke of the opportunities that came with the position of leading the Welsh Government.
“Regrettably, those opportunities have been squandered, resulting in longer waiting lists, falling educational standards and a stagnant economy.”
Additional reporting by PA