Wales’ first minister: Labour leader to be announced

The winner of the Welsh Labour leadership election – and the man set to become Wales’ new first minister – will be announced on Saturday.

Vaughan Gething and Jeremy Miles have been competing to replace Mark Drakeford, who officially stands down next week.

Labour Party officials will declare the result of the election in Cardiff.

Any member of the party in Wales or organisations affiliated to Labour, such as trade unions, was able to vote.

The party does not reveal how many people are members of Welsh Labour, but sources put it at about 16,000.

There were thought to be about 100,000 people with an affiliate vote, although only a small proportion of those were expected to take part.

Members were able to vote in the ballot by post or online between 16 February and 14 March.

Mr Gething, Wales’ economy minister and a former solicitor, was born in Zambia.

His father, a vet from Ogmore-by-Sea in Vale of Glamorgan, met his mother, a chicken farmer, while working in the southern African country.

Mr Gething went to school in Dorset, university in Aberystwyth and Cardiff and would be Wales’ first black leader if he were to win the contest.

He came second to Mr Drakeford in the previous Welsh Labour leadership election in 2018.

Wales’ Education Minister Mr Miles, who also used to be a solicitor, was born and brought up in the mining town of Pontarddulais as a first-language Welsh speaker.

He was schooled in Ysgol Ystalyfera in Swansea valley during the 1980s, alongside many children whose fathers were part of the miners’ strike.

A victorious Mr Miles would be Wales’ first gay leader.

The procedure for replacing Mr Drakeford as Wales’ first minister is due to take place next week.

He is expected to face his final First Minister’s Questions on Tuesday afternoon and later inform Buckingham Palace of his resignation.

Mr Gething or Mr Miles is expected to be nominated in the Senedd to be Wales’ new first minister the following day, with the possibility of a roll-call vote in the Senedd if opposition parties decide to put their own leaders up for the job.

Labour holds 30 of the 60 seats in Cardiff Bay, so is unlikely to have difficulty ensuring its new leader becomes the next first minister.

They will become the fifth leader of Wales’ devolved government since powers over matters such as education, health, social services and local government were transferred in 1999.

Mr Miles or Mr Gething will follow in the footsteps of Alun Michael, Rhodri Morgan, Carwyn Jones and Mr Drakeford.

They will also play an important role in Labour’s campaign in Wales for the upcoming UK general election.