“To the young women watching today, you need to know your potential is limitless” – more from new First Minister
Eluned Morgan pledged to restore public trust in politics as she was officially nominated as Wales’ new first minister.
As we reported earlier she will become Wales’ first female first minister after the Senedd was recalled from summer recess to nominate Vaughan Gething’s replacement.
Addressing the debating chamber or Siambr for the first time as first minister-designate, Baroness Morgan said her government will listen, learn and deliver for Wales.
‘Greatest honour’
Baroness Morgan, who has served as health secretary since 2021, was applauded by supporters in the chamber and the public gallery following her nomination.
“It’s the greatest honour of my life to stand before you today as the first woman to become the First Minister of Wales,” she said.
“Twenty-five years ago, we witnessed the dawn of a new era with the birth of devolution.
“This pivotal moment was the realisation of Welsh ambition, a rekindling of our national spirit and the beginning of a journey towards greater self-determination within the UK.”
In her speech she said, “I want to thank my immediate predecessor to this role, Vaughan Gething, for his service, another true trailblazer on that devolution journey. But I’m acutely aware that he and I are just links in a chain of leadership that stretches back to the very start of devolution: Alun, who helped lay the foundations of the Assembly; Rhodri, the visionary advocate; Carwyn, who steered us through austerity; Mark, who guided us during the pandemic; and Vaughan, who broke diversity barriers with his historic victory.
“As I take up the mantle of leadership, I promise to honour their achievements and add my own distinctive contribution to this legacy, perhaps with a vibrant splash of colour—the grey suits are out. This is a historic day as a woman becomes the First Minister of Wales for the first time in our history.”
“This isn’t just about shattering glass ceilings—it’s about shattering them for ever, using the pieces to create a mosaic of new possibilities. I carry with me the wisdom of the women who have battled, struggeld, and persevered without the recognition that they’ve deserved.
“To the young 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, and I look forward to the day when a woman becoming First Minister is no longer extraordinary, but a normal part of our Welsh political life. As First Minister, I promise to champion voices and experiences that have too often been sidelined and silenced, to champion parts of Wales that too often feel like they’re on the periphery, like my home in St Davids in west Wales. No-one will be left out. I extend my hand in gratitude and in genuine partnership to everyone in Wales. In a world where things that divide us are amplified and emphasised, sometimes for profit, I want to make it clear that I will be a listening First Minister, listening to all, not just those who shout the loudest or who have the most power.”
The former health minister, who is Wales’ third first minister this year, will succeed Mr Gething who was forced to quit by mass resignations from his cabinet.
His leadership was beset by controversy over donations from a convicted polluter and the sacking of a cabinet colleague accused of leaking to the press.
‘Turmoil’
Nominated by her predecessor, Baroness Morgan said: “We must work to restore trust. Wales is a warm and welcoming nation and our political discourse needs to reflect that.”
Baroness Morgan, who was elected Welsh Labour leader on July 24 after no contest, thanked Mr Gething who she described as trailblazer on the devolution journey.
The vote was the first time members have been recalled to confirm a new first minister, with the Senedd last recalled in 2022 to Queen Elizabeth II.
Finishing a distant third in the race to replace Carwyn Jones as leader in 2018, Baroness Morgan could hardly have imagined then she would become first minister.
She declined to stand when Mark Drakeford stood down in December due to the ”bruising” experience in 2018 but she now has been thrust into the top job.
‘Glass ceiling’
Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Conservative opposition, congratulated Baroness Morgan but warned that the revolving door of first ministers has had a corrosive effect.
He told the Senedd: “When I was speaking to my daughters this morning, they made the point that there will be a different dynamic having a woman in the centre of the chamber.”
Rhun ap Iorwerth reiterated his party’s calls for a snap Senedd election, criticising Labour “chaos” and warning that “more of the same is no longer an option”.
Plaid Cymru’s leader urged Baroness Morgan to reset the relationship between the Welsh and UK Governments beyond mere sound bites.
Ms Dodds, the Lib Dems’ leader in Wales, who abstained in the vote, called for unity, warning of the “dark truth” of a lack of confidence in politicians.
Closing proceedings in the Siambr, Elin Jones pointed to the ceiling in the Senedd chamber, saying “we finally broke through that glass ceiling”.
Who is Eluned Morgan?
Born in Ely, Cardiff, one of the most deprived parts of the country, the politician’s parents were both local councillors and her father was a Church in Wales vicar.
Educated at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf, then the only Welsh-medium school in the city, she later picked coffee in Nicaragua while supporting the Sandinista movement in the 1980s.
In 1994, she was the youngest member of the European Parliament when she was elected to represent Mid and West Wales aged 27.
Made a peer in 2011, Baroness Morgan was elected to the Senedd in 2016, joining the cabinet a year later as minister for Welsh language and lifelong learning.
In 2022, she apologised unreservedly after receiving a six-month driving ban for repeated speeding, with the standards commissioner criticising her for setting a poor example.
She also faced criticism in 2023 after placing Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board back into special measures but she narrowly survived a Conservative motion of no confidence.
What next?
Baroness Morgan is expected to unveil her cabinet in the next few days, with Wales’ new first minister set for her first FMQs after summer recess on September 17.
We know Ogmore MP Huw Irranca-Davies, the climate change minister, who ran on a joint ticket with Baroness Morgan, will become deputy first minister.
He will be the first person to hold the role since Ieuan Wyn Jones, the former Plaid Cymru leader, who held the post as part of the ‘One Wales’ government from 2007 to 2011.
As well as trying to unite a fractured Labour group, a key challenge facing Baroness Morgan will be passing the Welsh Government’s draft budget which will be published in December.
Labour holds exactly half of the Senedd’s 60 seats, meaning the Welsh Government will need wider support to agree its spending plans for 2025/26.
Then there’s the small matter of a Senedd election on the horizon in 2026, with Labour leading Plaid Cymru by only 1% according to latest polls.
By Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter / Wrexham.com
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