Gething becomes first Black leader of Welsh government

Vaughan Gething is set to become the next first minister of Wales after securing victory in the Welsh Labour leadership contest. The economy minister will become the country's first Black leader and will replace Mark Drakeford, who announced his intention to quit in December after five years in the role.

- ANDY GREGORY

Mr Gething was chosen by Welsh Labour members to be their party leader in a result announced in Cardiff yesterday, the day after his 50th birthday. However, he will not take over as first minister until Wednesday – when a vote will be held in the Welsh parliament.

He beat his only rival, the education minister Jeremy Miles, in a vote that was open to only around 100,000 of the party faithful and members of affiliated organisations and trade unions. Mr Drakeford is not expected to stand down immediately and will take his final First Minister’s Questions on Tuesday.

The handover in power comes as Wales faces a challenging time, including protests by farmers, NHS waiting lists hitting record highs, and an economy that is recovering from the coronavirus pandemic, during which Mr Gething served as health minister.

Hailing the victory as a “historic moment that speaks to the progress and values of modern-day Wales”, Sir Keir Starmer said: “With his many years of experience in the Senedd, I know he will lead a hopeful, ambitious Welsh Labour government, in the face of a tired and failed Tory government in Westminster. On behalf of the entire UK Labour Party, we look forward to campaigning with Vaughan in this new chapter for Wales, to deliver Labour governments across Britain.”

Mr Gething had the backing of most of the large unions and was also supported by Neil Kinnock, who led the UK party from 1983 to 1992 – but much of the controversy during the leadership race has centred around Mr Gething.