Three in the race to become next First Minister says top Welsh politics academic
There are three politicians in the race to become Wales’ next First Minister, a top academic has suggested.
Professor Richard Wyn Jones, Director of Cardiff University’s Wales Governance Centre, said that Economy Minister Vaughan Gething, Education Minister Jeremy Miles and Health Minister Eluned Morgan were the three with a realistic shot at the top job.
The current First Minister Mark Drakeford told an Al Jazeera journalist in Qatar last month that it was “time we elected somebody who looks ahead to the next 25 years”.
He added that his plans were to stay in the role for five years, which would take him to the end of next year.
Writing in the Barn Welsh language current-affairs magazine, Richard Wyn Jones suggested that the most likely date for his departure was the end of 2024, giving his successor 18 months to prepare for the next Senedd election.
Prof Jones said that Vaughan Gething and Jeremy Miles were the two clear front runners for the post but that Eluned Morgan “would have to be taken seriously” if she threw her hat in the ring.
Vaughan Gething would likely be the choice of the trade unions and the UK Labour party, he said, while Jeremy Miles would craft a campaign based on a continuation of the kind of autonomy that has separated Welsh and UK Labour under Rhodri Morga, Carwyn Jones and Mark Drakeford.
“In terms of substance, many of those who believe that the success of the Welsh Labour Party since the 1999 election has resulted from the willingness of Rhodri Morgan, Carwyn Jones and Mark Drakeford to plough their own Welsh furrow also consider that Miles is most likely to continue in the same tradition,” Richard Wyn Jones wrote.
“If it is true that Vaughan Gething will be the candidate of the Labour establishment, the Member for Neath will have to try to inspire the membership on the ground by presenting an alternative vision of the type of nation that Welsh Labor should be trying to build.”
Richard Wyn Jones however added that one thing that marked out all the candidates was some uncertainty about what kind of Welsh Labour they wanted to build.
“Although the three are familiar in many ways, what is striking is how little we know about the type of government they would try to lead and the type of Wales they would like to see,” he said.
“If there is only a year or two left before one of them takes the reins, it is time to learn more about the vision they have for us.”
The entire article can be read here.
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Jeremy Miles by a mile in my opinion. He is likeable and charismatic and has proximity to people and understands their issues and can communicate with all.
Who is/was Rhodri Morga?
None of these three inspire confidence just when confidence is needed.
Insipid, uninspiring, dull – and they apply to all 3 prospective candidates.
The only real choice for a Future for Wales IS……. Adam Price. All the other candidates will fail Wales as they all accept that the UK will always over rule them. Unless the UK changes its constitution into a full democracy and not a closed centralised system that it is at present there will be no future for Wales nor Scotland in the UK. It will only be remembered by scenes such as Mark Drakeford turning papers in his folder angrily in the chamber when he realises the UK is drawing all the power from our parliament and ignoring the… Read more »
Unfortunately Adam has proven to be a lacklustre leader of Plaid Cymru as far as its external face is concerned and has done nothing to stop toxicity, misogyny and a total lack of transparency in internal party workings. Leanne Wood has the vision to make a far better job of it as does Sioned Williams.
Plaid needs a excellent communicator to be their leader. Someone sharp and quick, as much as I like Adam Price, I don’t think he’s the person to take Plaid to the next level.
Didn’t take long for his wheels to fall off. Long on rambling rhetoric if you like that sort of thing.
Did you have to be a top academic to make this prediction?
Come on Mick Antoniw. You’d be great for the top job.
Not the Baroness…
John Crace’s comments tonight are a proper glum-club…
At least we don’t have the likes of Sunak, Truss, Fatshanks, Hunt, Coffee, Braverman, Patel, Bad enough, Barclay or Raab, that will do, there loads more, in the Senedd so chin-up…
Welsh Labour’s Liz Truss.
In my opinion Wales cannot suffer another Welsh Labour government Those candidates mentioned will continue on the same course of Whitehall appeasement & compliance. We’ve had over 22 years of Welsh Labour rule with very little change. Poverty is merely managed not eradicated.. There’s been no real attempt to fight the Tory power grab in the Supreme Court , or wish to gain more powers by calling for a referendum as done in 2011. And if you delve into past Labour Westminster governments attitude towards devolving more power to Wales , they have fought tooth & nail against and have… Read more »
Eluned Morgan for the win.
Your joking, delusional or a saboteur.
Its true what you say.
What’s with the spelling of ‘labor’? Is Cymru adopting American English?
Looking at their most recent election it would appear that the UK leaning section of the party
is in the assendancy where it counts. But having said that 65% of the members voted for Julie Morgan and 59% of AMs etc and 60% of Unions voted for Carolyn Harris allowing her to just edge it. Can’t think it would be a good look if Vaughn Gething were to win the election with a minority of the member’s votes.