The new leader of Labour in Wales has described her pride at being on the brink of becoming her party’s first female head of state in the UK as she promised to heal divisions within the Welsh government.
Eluned Morgan, who is a peer, admitted it was “odd” that a baroness had become leader of Welsh Labour but said her connections in both UK houses of parliament would help make life better for the people of Wales.
Lady Morgan, who is currently health secretary in Wales, became leader as nobody else put themselves forward for the role after the resignation of Vaughan Gething over a donations scandal.
It is expected that the Senedd, the Welsh parliament, will be recalled from recess in the next few weeks and a vote will take place to, almost certainly, install Morgan as first minister.
After her appointment was announced, Morgan went to a community centre in the west of Cardiff, where she grew up, and musical group from her late father’s church played folk tunes.
In her speech she called it a “historic occasion” and said she was “really proud” to be the first woman to lead Welsh Labour.
Speaking to the Guardian, she said: “We need role models. I hope that I’ll be able to live up to the expectation but I think it’s high time. I think it’s a moment for the Labour party as well. It’s the 21st century, we need women to be leading in every aspect of our society.”
Morgan said she would go out to the people of Wales this summer to ask what their priorities were. “I’m going to listen to them so that they can tell me what it is they want from us,” she said. “It’s turning the tables, it’s doing things differently. You’ll have to watch in the next few weeks and months how other things will change under a woman leader.”
She said she had been shaped by the area where she grew up. “People didn’t have opportunities. They were clever, they were talented, they were bright, but they didn’t have the chances. That’s what’s driven me.”
Morgan added that she hoped the Welsh government and Keir Starmer’s administration would “partner up” to deliver vital change.
On the question of her title, she said: “It does sound very odd, I must say, but I did call myself the Baroness of Ely, which is symbolic of this council housing estate where I’m from. What’s important for me is that we have the opportunity to work together with Westminster. Obviously, those links into people in the House of Lords are also quite useful as well.”
Morgan said she would work hard to re-unite Welsh Labour, which has been fractured by the Gething scandal. She said: “I don’t think we’ve seen a pretty picture in the past few weeks. I think we’ve got to fess up and accept that is the situation.”
It is thought the Senedd may be recalled next week. The vote to select a first minister is carried out by roll-call. Members are asked one by one to announce their vote. A complication is that members are not allowed to vote from outside the UK, which could be a problem for members away on their summer holidays.
It may also be that other parties put forward their leaders for consideration but Labour holds 30 of the 60 seats, which should be enough for Morgan to be confirmed, especially as the sole Liberal Democrat in the parliament, Jane Dodds, has said she will abstain.
Andrew RT Davies, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: “The baroness has picked up the crown at the coronation. 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?”
The leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth, called for a Senedd election to be called. 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.
Gething announced his resignation last week when four senior members of the Welsh government quit.
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