July 2024 Welsh Labour leadership election explained

Election Name:July 2024 Welsh Labour leadership election
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Year:February–March 2024
Election Date:20 July – 24 July 2024
Image1:Official_portrait_of_Eluned_Morgan_(cropped).jpg
Candidate1:Eluned Morgan
Leader
Before Election:Vaughan Gething
After Election:Eluned Morgan
Popular Vote1:Unopposed

The July 2024 Welsh Labour leadership election was held to find Vaughan Gething's successor as leader of Welsh Labour, after he announced his resignation on 16 July 2024, just four months after he was elected. After nominations closed on 24 July 2024 at 12:00, Eluned Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Ely was confirmed to be the sole candidate, and therefore elected leader unopposed.[1]

Background

See main article: February–March 2024 Welsh Labour leadership election, Gething government and 2024 Welsh government crisis. Following Mark Drakeford's resignation as First Minister of Wales and Leader of Welsh Labour, Vaughan Gething was elected to succeed him in the February–March 2024 Welsh Labour leadership election. Gething was officially nominated as First Minister by the Senedd on 20 March 2024,[2] [3] and announced his cabinet the following day.[4] [5] In the process, he became the first black First Minister of Wales,[6] as well as the first black leader of any European country.[7] His appointment to His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council was announced on 28 March 2024 as part of the 2024 Special Honours.[8]

During the inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic response, Gething stated that he had not deliberately deleted any messages from his phone.[9] On 7 May, Nation.Cymru obtained text messages from Gething in a Welsh Government group chat, in which he said "I'm deleting the messages in this group. They can be captured in an FOI [Freedom of Information request] and I think we are all in the right place on the choice being made." Gething denied allegations of perjury put to him in by Rhun ap Iorwerth in First Minister's Questions the same day, describing the allegations as 'obnoxious'.[10] A few days later, he removed Hannah Blythyn from her role as Minister for Social Partnership, alleging that she was the leak of the text messages.[11] She denied this.[12] Blythyn was replaced by Sarah Murphy on 17 May.[13]

On 17 May, Rhun ap Iorwerth announced that Plaid Cymru had withdrawn from the co-operation agreement with Welsh Labour.[14] On 5 June, after just 77 days as First Minister, Gething faced a non-binding vote of no-confidence in him as First Minister, tabled by the Welsh Conservatives, in which he lost by a margin of 29 votes to 27.[15] Despite losing the no confidence vote, Gething announced he would not resign as First Minister on 8 June.[16] However, on 16 July, he announced his resignation,[17] an hour after ministers Mick Antoniw, Julie James, Lesley Griffiths and Jeremy Miles stepped down from their posts.[18] His resignation, announced 118 days into his premiership,[19] will formally take effect when his successor is elected, and will make him the shortest serving First Minister since the role was created, a record previously held by Alun Michael as First Secretary of Wales.[20] [21]

Timeline

The timeline for the election was discussed by the Welsh Executive Committee on 20 July 2024 and announced on the same day. Nominations opened at 19:00 BST on 20 July and are scheduled to close at 12:00 on 24 July. Nominees needed the support of five Labour Members of the Senedd to be included on the ballot paper. If there was more than one candidate, ballot papers would have been sent out to members of Welsh Labour and their affiliated bodies, including trade unions, on 22 August, to be returned by 13 September, with the result announced on 14 September.[22]

However, as only Eluned Morgan was nominated, she was elected unopposed as the new leader with the close of nominations on 24 July.[23]

Candidates

Nominated

Declined

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Welsh Labour leader: Eluned Morgan set to be new first minister . 2024-07-24 . BBC News . en-GB.
  2. Web site: 20 March 2024 . Plenary 20/03/2024 . 23 March 2023 . Welsh Parliament . en-GB.
  3. Web site: Cassidy . Maria . Shuttleworth . Peter . 20 March 2024 . Vaughan Gething appointed Wales' first minister . 20 March 2024 . BBC News . en-gb.
  4. News: Mosalski . Ruth . 21 March 2024 . Live updates as Vaughan Gething confirms his cabinet appointments in first full day in Wales' top job . 21 March 2024 . WalesOnline.
  5. News: Browne . Adrian . 21 March 2024 . New First Minister Vaughan Gething announces cabinet . 22 March 2024 . BBC News . en-GB.
  6. Web site: Browne . Adrian . Deans . David . 16 March 2024 . Welsh Labour leadership: Vaughan Gething to be Wales' next first minister . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240315232856/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-68500807 . 15 March 2024 . 16 March 2024 . . en-gb.
  7. Web site: Morris . Steven . 16 March 2024 . Vaughan Gething to become Welsh first minister after Labour leadership win . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240316101929/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/mar/16/vaughan-gething-to-become-welsh-first-minister-after-labour-leadership-win . 16 March 2024 . 16 March 2024 . The Guardian.
  8. Web site: 28 March 2024 . Privy Council appointment: March 2024 . 28 March 2024 . GOV.UK.
  9. Web site: Mansfield . Mark . 2024-05-07 . Vaughan Gething misled UK Covid Inquiry by not admitting he deleted messages . 2024-05-17 . Nation.Cymru . en-GB.
  10. Web site: Mosalski . Ruth . 2024-05-07 . Vaughan Gething denies 'obnoxious' claim he committed perjury at Covid inquiry . 2024-05-17 . Wales Online . en.
  11. Web site: Mosalski . Ruth . 2024-05-16 . Vaughan Gething sacks member of cabinet over leak . 2024-05-17 . Wales Online . en.
  12. Web site: I am deeply shocked and saddened by what has happened today. I am clear and have been clear that I did not, nor have I ever leaked anything. Integrity is all in politics and I retain mine. 1/2 . 2024-05-17 . X (formerly Twitter) . en.
  13. Web site: Price . Emily . 2024-05-17 . Sarah Murphy replaces sacked junior minister Hannah Blythyn . 2024-05-17 . Nation.Cymru . en-GB.
  14. Web site: Hayward . Will . 2024-05-17 . Plaid Cymru pulls out of deal to support Labour in the Senedd . 2024-05-17 . Wales Online . en.
  15. Web site: Vaughan Gething: Welsh first minister to face no-confidence vote . 2024-06-05 . BBC News . en-gb.
  16. Web site: Vaughan Gething won't quit after losing vote of no confidence . 2024-06-08 . www.bbc.com . en-GB.
  17. Web site: Grierson . Jamie . 16 July 2024 . Vaughan Gething resigns as first minister of Wales . 16 July 2024 . the Guardian.
  18. News: Grierson . Jamie . 2024-07-16 . Vaughan Gething’s leadership in peril as four Welsh ministers resign . 2024-07-16 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  19. Web site: Rosie . Mercer . David . Deans . Who is Vaughan Gething, the outgoing first minister of Wales? . 16 July 2024 . BBC News . BBC . 16 July 2024.
  20. News: 16 July 2024 . Vaughan Gething quits as Welsh First Minister following resignations from his government . 16 July 2024 . ITV News.
  21. News: 4 February 2022 . Alun Michael no longer shortest serving First Minister after Northern Ireland FM steps down . 16 July 2024 . Nation.Cymru.
  22. Web site: David . Deans . Cemelyn . Davies . Vaughan Gething: New Wales first minister to be elected in September . 20 July 2024 . BBC News . BBC . 20 July 2024.
  23. News: Shipton . Martin . 21 July 2024 . Eluned Morgan in line to be First Minister as Jeremy Miles says he will not run . 22 July 2024 . Nation.Cymru.
  24. Web site: Eluned Morgan confirms bid to be next Welsh first minister. 22 July 2024. BBC News.
  25. Web site: Next Wales First Minister candidates as Vaughan Gething quits . Ruth . Mosalski . 16 July 2024 . Wales Online . 16 July 2024.
  26. Web site: Palmer . Mark . Morgan yet to enter FM race but support grows . . 22 July 2024 . 22 July 2024.
  27. Miles . Jeremy . Jeremy_Miles . Jul 21, 2024 . 1814953065268621571 . I am today nominating Eluned Morgan for leader of Welsh Labour. . 21 July 2024 . https://x.com/Jeremy_Miles/status/1814953065268621571 . live .
  28. Web site: Gething rival backs health secretary for next FM . 21 July 2024 . 21 July 2024 . Palmer . Mark . . BBC.
  29. Web site: 2024-07-22 . Eluned Morgan likely to become Wales' first female leader . 2024-07-23 . BBC News . en-GB.

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