Eluned Morgan set to be the next First Minister of Wales

• Sion Jenkins speaks to the woman who's won the support of almost all Labour politicians in the Welsh Parliament...

Eluned Morgan has been confirmed as the new leader of Welsh Labour and the likely first minister of Wales.

She will replace Vaughan Gething, who announced his resignation last week, after just four months in office dominated by rows over donations and sacked ministers.

Baroness Morgan, 57, the current Welsh health minister, was the only contender when nominations closed at midday before a party's procedures committee confirmed her leadership.

A vote in the Senedd is required before she can become first minister.

The Welsh parliament is currently on recess until September, and it would need to be recalled for her to take over sooner.

When confirmed, she would become the first woman to lead the Welsh Government.

What do people in North Wales think about Eluned Morgan's appointment?

Welsh Conservatives have already said they will be asking for a recall, and whilst the party leader Andrew RT Davies congratulated Ms Morgan, he also criticised her record as health secretary.

"Eluned Morgan has presided over the worst Welsh NHS waiting lists on record, so the question must be asked, is this really the best that Labour can do?

"If her lack of delivery in Wales' NHS is replicated across the Welsh economy and education system then Wales is going to be a lot worse off in the future."

Plaid Cymru has repeatedly called for a snap Senedd election with party leader Rhun ap Iorwerth insisting that Baroness Morgan’s leadership will be “more of the same”.

He said: "The fact that she is the third leader in three months speaks volumes about the turmoil at the heart of the governing party.

"Wales needs its First Minister to succeed, but for that to happen, decisions must be different, and outcomes must be better.

"Eluned Morgan should but won’t call an election, so whilst Labour continue to fight amongst themselves, Plaid Cymru is focused on offering a real alternative that people in all parts of Wales can unite behind.”

Mr RT Davies has previously branded calls for a snap Senedd election “hot-headed”.

If an election were held, Senedd rules mean another one would have to be held in 2026.

Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Jane Dodds, called on the new Labour leader to "re-earn the trust of both the Senedd, and most importantly, the people of Wales."

Labour’s ruling body had originally set a timeline of having a new Labour leader in place on September 14, with them taking over as first minister on September 18.

Baroness Morgan has won the support of the majority of the Labour group, with few MSs, including Hannah Blythyn and outgoing First Minister Vaughan Gething not having indicated support for anyone.

Lee Waters, the MS for Llanelli, declined to nominate anyone.

Baroness Morgan has been the Senedd member for Mid and West Wales since 2016 and a peer in the House of Lords since 2011.

She is currently listed as being on a leave of absence in the Lords.

From 1994 to 2009 Baroness Morgan was a member of the European Parliament.

Baroness Morgan has promoted herself as a “unity candidate”, with the Labour group having become fractured in recent months following a series of rows involving Mr Gething and donations he took during the last leadership election earlier this year.

The race to replace the First Minister began after four members of his government quit en masse last week, criticising his leadership.

Mr Gething then announced he was standing down having only taken over as leader in March.

During the last leadership race Mr Gething took a £200,000 donation for his leadership campaign from a company owned by a man twice convicted of environmental offences, which led to some members of his own party criticising his judgement.

Last month Mr Gething lost a vote of no confidence in the Senedd, after rows over the donation, and his decision to sack Delyn MS Ms Blythyn as a minister.

All the other potential candidates who were expected to run in the Labour leadership race have announced their support for Baroness Morgan.

This includes Jeremy Miles, who ran against Mr Gething in the last leadership race and was one of the four people to quit his government last week.

Mr Miles made a surprise move by becoming the first person to publicly endorse Baroness Morgan on Sunday before she had officially announced her candidacy.

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