Eluned Morgan set to be Wales' next first minister

Eluned Morgan is poised to become Wales’ next first minister and its first female leader after no one else entered the race to be Welsh Labour leader.

Ms Morgan, 57, is expected to be confirmed in the top job later this afternoon in a meeting of Labour officials.

She won the support of almost all of Labour’s politicians in the Welsh Parliament.

The contest was triggered by the resignation of Vaughan Gething, who was forced out by the resignations of three ministers and his chief legal adviser.

The Cardiff-born politician is a former Member of the European Parliament and a life peer who has been MS for Mid and West Wales since 2016.

Ms Morgan, who has overseen the Welsh health service since the last Senedd election, has promised to unify the split Welsh Labour group, which has been beset by rows since the election of Mr Gething last March.

Huw Irranca-Davies, who supported Mr Gething’s opponent Jeremy Miles in the last leadership contest, is expected to be her deputy.

Vaughan Gething remains the first minister until Eluned Morgan is confirmed in a vote of the Senedd, which is likely to be recalled from its summer recess at a yet to be determined date.

Mr Gething’s time in office was dogged by controversy over donations of £200,000 from a company owned by a man previously convicted of illegally dumping waste.

It later emerged that he had also lobbied environmental regulator Natural Resources Wales on behalf of a subsidiary of the same company.

He lost a vote of no confidence after two of his Members of the Senedd (MSs) failed to back him.

His sacking of a minister for allegedly leaking text messages led to further drama when the politician involved, Hannah Blythyn, denied speaking to the press.

He quit only 118 days into the job.

A formal roll call vote is required of all 60 MSs before the new first minister is confirmed.

With only one candidate in the race it became apparent that Mr Gething may quit earlier than planned - requiring the Senedd to be recalled.

BBC Wales was told earlier in the week that discussions have happened between the first minister's office, Welsh Labour and the Senedd.

The Senedd would require a request from the Welsh government to bring the parliament back from recess. While it is expected such a request would be granted, full plans are not being made yet and there is no date for a recall.

The fact that some MSs are abroad on holiday would be an added complication. How a vote would work - a roll call of the 60 MSs - if those circumstances did not change is unclear.

The vote requires every MS to say out loud who they think should be first minister.

In theory the opposition, with exactly half the numbers in the Senedd, could prevent Ms Morgan from being confirmed by getting behind a single candidate.

But that is not going to happen and Labour will have the numbers to get their new first minister confirmed.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds plans to abstain, while Conservatives and Plaid Cymru plan to nominate their own leaders.