Welsh Labour leader: Jane Hutt says she would back Drakeford

A senior Welsh Labour AM has endorsed Wales' finance secretary to lead the party if he wants to run for the job.

Jane Hutt, who was the longest serving Welsh cabinet minister until last year, says Professor Mark Drakeford would be a "blessing" to Wales.

She joins fellow AMs Mick Antoniw and Mike Hedges in backing Mr Drakeford, who has yet to decide if he will stand.

A contest was triggered after First Minister Carwyn Jones announced he would step down in the autumn.

A number of people have been mentioned as potential candidates to succeed Mr Jones as the next Welsh Labour leader, but no one has yet firmly announced their intention to stand.

Prof Drakeford, widely considered as a front-runner, said he was giving the matter "serious consideration".

Ms Hutt told BBC Wales and she and Cardiff West AM "go back a long way" - the two had served as members of the former South Glamorgan County Council.

Prof Drakeford also served as Ms Hutt's special advisor when she was health minister.

The Vale of Glamorgan AM said a future leader would need "integrity", "experience" and "intellect".

"I don't mind saying now that, if he puts himself forward, Mark Drakeford has my vote and I think he would be a blessing to Wales."

She said the election must be held under a one-member-one-vote (OMOV) system - where each Labour member's vote is counted equally - saying it would bring "everyone" in the party behind the new leader.

There was controversy at the weekend when Carolyn Harris won the Welsh Labour deputy leadership election under an electoral college - despite winning fewer votes from party members than her rival Julie Morgan.

Ms Hutt was leader of the house in the Welsh Government until the cabinet reshuffle of last November - previously she served in a number of ministerial portfolios including health, education and finance.

Pontypridd AM Mick Antoniw, who is also backing Prof Drakeford, told BBC Radio Wales: "He has shown statesmanship in the negotiations on Brexit, on the new tax laws that have gone through Wales, on the Welsh finances at a very difficult time. I think he's an inspirational individual."

Health Secretary Vaughan Gething, Economy Secretary Ken Skates, Welsh Language Minister Eluned Morgan, and Counsel General Jeremy Miles, have also not ruled themselves out of the running.

Other potential names could include Children's Minister Huw Irranca-Davies and Local Government Secretary Alun Davies.

Blaenau Gwent AM Mr Davies did not rule himself out of a leadership bid when speaking to BBC Radio Wales on Monday.

However the local government secretary told the Good Morning Wales programme he could not imagine himself standing under the present rules of an electoral college, under which the votes of MPs and AMs and groups including trade unions outweigh the votes of ordinary members.

Mr Davies said the system was "beyond repair" and he would only consider standing if there was a "one member one vote" election.

Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies called for Carwyn Jones to step down within weeks, rather than wait months.

"The First Minister's decision to stand down has created an immediate vacuum at the heart of Welsh politics, and we now face a period of rudderless leadership whilst the Labour Party works out how to elect his replacement," he said.

Mr Jones, who has been first minister since 2009, announced that he would step down as Welsh Labour leader at the party's conference on Saturday, saying recent months had been the "darkest of times".

He had been under intense pressure since the death of former communities secretary Carl Sargeant.

The late Alyn and Deeside AM was found dead at his home in November.

It is understood he took his own life days after being sacked by Mr Jones from the cabinet amid allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women.

Former Labour Welsh Secretary Lord Hain told BBC Wales the next leader would need to be "radical" as the party had been in power in Cardiff Bay for almost 20 years.

The former Neath MP said: "The assembly administration needs a big shake-up and we need a leader who is going to do that: to really drive the Welsh civil service to be more innovative and more optimistic."

The Electoral Reform Society (ERS) Cymru said the leadership election was chance to have a "full and frank discussion" on representation in democracy.

ERS Cymru director Jessica Blair said: "Over nearly two decades of devolution Wales has changed fundamentally, diverging more and more from the rest of the UK in terms of our policies on areas like health, education and the environment.

"Yet, we still have a long way to go to engage vast numbers of people in this country on our political future and represent the diverse range of people across Wales."