Welsh first minister begins cabinet reshuffle

Wales' first minister has begun her first cabinet reshuffle, BBC Wales has been told.

Eluned Morgan faces the decision of whether to reappoint the ministers who forced Vaughan Gething's resignation in the summer, including his former rival Jeremy Miles.

Sources said that ministers have been asked to speak to Morgan on Wednesday.

Former first minister Gething has already ruled himself out of returning to government.

It is not clear how extensive the reshuffle will be and whether Morgan will simply try to fill in gaps left by the summer resignations.

Timings have not been confirmed but one source said they expect the reshuffle to be announced on Wednesday.

Since she became first minister in August, Morgan's only major ministerial appointment has been to make former first minister Mark Drakeford an interim health secretary - filling in the vacancy left by Morgan herself.

The job is one of the most important in government - with more than half of the Welsh government's £20bn budget.

It is not clear at this stage whether Drakeford's appointment will become more permanent, whether in health or elsewhere in the cabinet.

Four members of the Welsh government cabinet quit in July to force Gething to resign.

As well as the former economy secretary Jeremy Miles, they included climate change secretary Julie James, culture and social justice Lesley Griffiths, and counsel general Mick Antoniw.

Morgan became Welsh Labour leader on the promise that she could bring the split Labour Senedd group of politicians back together.

She was elected unopposed after Miles decided not to stand for the leadership.

The former economy secretary was seen in a particularly poor light by supporters of Gething, who blamed him for some of the divisions in the group.

Critics of Gething said the fault lay with the former first minister himself, and his decision to take a leadership campaign donation of £200,000 from a man previously convicted of illegally dumping waste.