Mark Drakeford Steps Down As First Minister Of Wales
Mark Drakeford was elected as the leader of the Welsh Labour Party in December 2018 (Alamy)
5 min read
Mark Drakeford is stepping down as First Minister of Wales after five years as leader of the Welsh Labour Party.
Drakeford was the longest-serving leader of any of the current leaders of the UK devolved nations, having been elected to the role in December 2018.
Speaking on Wednesday morning, he said that he had always said he intended to serve as leader for five years.
"There will be plenty of time for political obituaries, and retrospection once I cease to be First Minister, but not before," he said.
"In a five year period which has seen Wales deal with austerity, Brexit, the COVID pandemic, climate crisis, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and four different prime ministers so far, there will be lots to reflect upon.
"For now, I will continue to be fully focused on delivering the promises we made to people across Wales in the last Senedd election. The next Welsh leader and First Minister will, I hope, have an opportunity which has not come my way and that is to work with a newly elected Labour government in London; and I will work as hard as I can to see that Labour government elected."
Earlier this year, Drakeford, aged 69, told WalesOnline that life was still "as difficult as they have been since January" after the sudden death of his wife, Clare.
His resignation will now open a contest to succeed him as Labour leader and First Minister. The election process for the leadership will open shortly, and Drakeford will continue as First Minister until the process is concluded in the spring term.
Drakeford has also been the Member of the Senedd for Cardiff West since 2011.
Members of both the UK and Welsh parliaments have rushed to pay tribute to Drakeford's leadership, with many praising him for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in Wales.
At Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday afternoon, both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer said they wished Drakeford well for his retirement.
"Mark committed his life to public service and lives his values every day quietly and patiently," Starmer said.
"Mark has been a titan of Labour... and we thank him for his service and wish him well."
Kevin Brennan, Labour MP for Cardiff West, said in a statement that Drakeford would leave a "lasting legacy" and added that he had been "deeply moved" by his continuation of service despite the trauma of the death of his wife.
"Mark has been an exemplary public servant and will leave a lasting legacy as a result of his absolute dedication to social justice and the welfare of people of Wales," Brennan said.
"I have had the privilege of working closely with him and witnessed his extraordinary work commitment and thoughtful approach to politics. His moral leadership of Wales during COVID will forever be contrasted with the moral bankruptcy of the leadership of the UK government at the same time.
"I know the personal trauma that Mark suffered with the sudden loss of his wife Clare and have been deeply moved by his determination to continue to serve the people of Wales and to deliver the commitments promised in the Welsh Labour manifesto."
Other Welsh Labour MPs, including Jo Stevens, Alex Davies-Jones, and Gerald Jones echoed these comments.
"Mark Drakeford led Wales through a hugely challenging pandemic and relentlessly focused on improving healthcare, fostering a stronger, greener economy and supporting thousands of vulnerable people through this cost of living crisis," Davies-Jones said.
"Diolch, Mark, for your tireless dedication."
Stevens said he has "epitomised public service and public duty" and said that his "remarkable stewardship of Wales through the horror of the pandemic" was the most obvious example of this.
Andrew Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives and Member of the Senedd for South Wales Central, said he held a "huge amount of respect" for Drakeford despite their "different visions".
"I wish Mark Drakeford well as he stands down," he said.
"While we may have different visions for Wales, I know I'm joined by colleagues in holding a huge amount of respect for his dedication to the job of First Minister."
However, he added that with Drakeford's resignation, there should be "no distraction from the really important job of delivering for the people of Wales".
"Labour politicians jockeying for the role of First Minister must not detract from this," he continued.
Conservative MP for Monmouth David Davies posted on X that Drakeford had served though "challenging times" in the pandemic.
"I wish him all the best in his retirement and look forward to working together with his successor," he said.
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