Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford resigns

Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford has announced he's quitting after five years in the job.

Mr Drakeford will step down in March, with a new Welsh Labour leader due to be elected before Easter.

He told BBC Wales he wanted a new leader in place by the next Westminster general election.

But he denied the backlash over new 20mph speed limits across the country had anything to do with it.

Mr Drakeford, 69, who is the Cardiff West Member of the Senedd (MS), was confirmed as first minister exactly five years and one day ago.

He had planned to stand down in 2024 but the timing of his announcement was a surprise.

It comes a week before the Welsh government announces its spending plans for the next year, which ministers have warned will be "extremely difficult".

Both Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to the Welsh Labour leader on Wednesday.

But Plaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth criticised his record in the Welsh government's biggest services - health and education.

Speaking at a hastily arranged press conference in the Welsh Parliament, Mr Drakeford said: "When I stood for the leadership I said that, if elected, I would serve for five years. Exactly five years have passed since I was confirmed as first minister in 2018."

Speaking to BBC Wales, he said the looming prospect of a general election had been "much in my mind".

"I think it is better, in Wales, that people know the person who will look to work alongside Keir Starmer," he said.

He said the controversy around the 20mph speed limit change in largely residential areas did not "at all" play into his decision.

"When people look back on all of this, I think they will see that this was another example of Wales with a progressive government being at the forefront of developments that I think people will look back and say, whatever was the fuss about?"

"I'm proud to have been associated with governments in Wales that have been prepared to do those progressive things, breaking new ground when others weren't prepared to go, whether that's organ donation, whether it's banning the physical punishment of children, whether it's 20mph zones, or free school meals, in our primary schools."

The Covid inquiry is expected to hold hearings in Cardiff in February and March when it explores decision making in Wales.

Mr Drakeford said he wanted to remain first minister at that time. "I think I owe it to the families who will look to that inquiry to be still here," he said.

The politician told Newyddion S4C he will stay as Member of the Senedd for Cardiff West until the next election in 2026.

Mr Drakeford received both plaudits and criticism for his handling of the Covid pandemic, where his approach contrasted with that of Boris Johnson's Conservative UK government. He led Labour to success in the 2021 Senedd election.

Other policies such as a default 20mph speed limit in Wales, cancellation of major new road-building schemes, and failure to support calls for a Wales-only Covid inquiry, proved more controversial.

A recent ITV Wales poll suggested Mark Drakeford's approval rating has fallen since the pandemic.

His wife Clare died earlier this year, leading to increased speculation that he may decide to retire.

He was previously a special adviser to one of his predecessors as first minister, the late Rhodri Morgan. Mr Drakeford succeeded Mr Morgan as MS for Cardiff West in 2011.

Economy Minister Vaughan Gething and Education Minister Jeremy Miles are seen as two likely front-runners to take over.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak paid tribute to Mr Drakeford in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

"I know everyone will want to join me in wishing Mark Drakeford all the best as he moves on from his many, many years of devoted public service," he said.

UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mark Drakeford was a "true titan" of Welsh and Labour politics.

"Mark has set a clear standard for public service in UK politics, always putting others before himself," he said.

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said Mark Drakeford's announcement marked "the end of a political era in Wales".

He said: "When he took office, the first minister spoke of the opportunities that came with the position of leading the Welsh government.

"Regrettably, those opportunities have been squandered, resulting in longer waiting lists, falling educational standards and a stagnant economy."

Carwyn Jones, Mr Drakeford's predecessor as first minister, said he believed the party leader had "made up his mind long in advance" and suggested the first minister wanted to avoid a campaign running at the same time as a Westminster election.

He told Radio Cymru's Dros Ginio programme: "If he went too far into the new year there would be a risk that a Labour leadership competition would run at the same time as an election campaign and nobody would want to see that. I'm sure that's on his mind."

Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies wished Mr Drakeford well.

But he added: "What we've got to make sure now with this announcement is that the government here doesn't lose sight of its job. It's got his budget next week.

"It's got important legislation to get through and it can't turn in on itself and end up fighting.

"We as the opposition will make sure that doesn't happen by holding them to account."

Labour's Shadow Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens said: "Mark Drakeford has epitomised public service and public duty throughout his time as first minister of Wales."

In his resignation statement, Mr Drakeford declined to reflect much on his time in office.

"There will be plenty of time for political obituaries and retrospection once I cease to be first minister. But not before," he said.

He said he had the "enormous fortune to have played a part in Welsh politics during the first quarter century of devolution".

"None of that would have been possible without the consistent support and enormous hard work of my talented cabinet colleagues and successive Labour groups," he said.

"Now it is time to look forward to the next five years across the UK and to the next 25 years of devolution in Wales."

He spelled out that he will remain "fully focused" on the coming budget and the upcoming Wales hearings of the Covid inquiry.

Mr Drakeford's announcement sparks a leadership contest for the leadership of Welsh Labour.

Only Labour MSs will be able to take part - but there are two clear frontrunners with leadership campaigns ready to go.

Economy Minister Vaughan Gething has represented Cardiff South and Penarth since 2011 and has served in government since 2013.

He was the health minister during the pandemic and came second in the last leadership race in 2018.

Education Minister Jeremy Miles was first elected in 2016. He has previously served as counsel general and Brexit minister.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan's name is always mentioned in any discussion about the next first minister. She also stood to be leader in 2018.

Other potential candidates include Climate Change Minister Julie James and Deputy Minister for Social Partnership Hannah Blythyn.

The party's ruling Welsh Executive Committee met on Wednesday evening to begin the process to replace the first minister.

It agreed that another group - the procedures committee - will convene on Friday to set out the timetable for the election.

Under existing party rules it is expected that nominees will have to find two ways to find themselves on to the Labour ballot paper.

One option is that they need six members in the Senedd Labour group to endorse them.

The other is they need three of the Senedd Labour group, plus 20% of local Labour parties, or three affiliated groups including two trade unions.

Both Mr Miles and Mr Gething paid tribute to Mr Drakeford.

Mr Miles said: "As we consider what comes next, I hope we will resolve to build on Mark's legacy".

Mr Gething said Mr Drakeford "still has a huge role to play in Welsh public life".

The Senedd's presiding officer said it was "business as usual" on Wednesday - the last day of debates in the parliament before the end of the Christmas term.

"We had a first minister answering first minister's questions yesterday and we will have the same first minister answering questions when we reconvene in in January," Elin Jones said.

"For now then let us thank Mark for his leadership of Welsh government thus far, and that we await with interest his final months of activity in office in the new year".