Former minister not concerned as half of Senedd Labour group prepares to step down

A former Welsh Government minister has said she’s not concerned about the number of Labour MSs standing down at next year’s Senedd election.

Julie Morgan, Member of the Senedd for Cardiff North, was speaking on ITV’s Sharp End programme after Health Secretary Jeremy Miles became the 14th Labour Senedd member to declare they will not stand in 2026.

Surprised

When asked by Sharp End presenter Andrea Byrne if she was surprised, Julie Morgan MS, who is herself standing down in May, said: “Yes, I had no inside knowledge. So yes, I was surprised. But I absolutely respect his reasons for going and I think he’s made a great contribution…”

“I think he’s made an impact as health minister as well. And of course he has been the first openly gay man to stand for the leadership of Welsh Labor and to be first minister. And I think that’s great because it gives such a good message to people, young people in the community. So I think Jeremy has achieved a lot.”

The list of Labour MSs stepping down includes veteran’s John Griffiths and Jane Hutt, both of whom were first elected in 1999, and former First Minister Vaughan Gething.

‘Generational move’

Reflecting on the loss of experience in the Labour Senedd group going forward, Andrea Byrne said: “There is a concern and a risk, isn’t there, that you could turn the clock back to 1999 when people were learning the ropes and how our government works and we could descend into chaos, couldn’t we?”

Julie Morgan said: “Oh, absolutely not. I mean, the reason so many Labour politicians are going is because it’s a generational move because so many have been there so long. That’s why people are going…”