Mark Drakeford plans 50-50 gender split cabinet

Mark Drakeford has said he will deliver on his promise for a 50-50 gender split in his new-look government as he is set to become first minister on Wednesday.

Mr Drakeford is expected to succeed Carwyn Jones who will step down on Tuesday after nine years at the helm.

He saw off competition from Vaughan Gething and Eluned Morgan to be elected as Welsh Labour's new leader.

He told Sunday Politics Wales he intended to deliver on his manifesto pledge.

AMs will be invited to nominate him in the Senedd on Wednesday when the Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru will also put their leaders forward but Mr Drakeford is expected to win.

He will then start drawing up a new-look government and has already said he wants to change the way the cabinet works, allowing more time to consider long-term challenges.

"If I am in a position to form a cabinet - and I said in my manifesto - I fully intend to deliver a gender balance cabinet at the Welsh Government," he said.

Mr Drakeford, the current finance secretary, admitted the challenge he faced was to tackle his own "anonymity" and to boost the Welsh Government's profile among the public.

"I see the dilemma, definitely, but I think there's more than one way you can tackle anonymity," Mr Drakeford added.

"I think being clearer with people that there are a whole group of us who are engaged in government is a way of breaking down that anonymity.

"A single person cannot be everywhere in Wales doing everything.

"I've said, for example, that in my cabinet, there will be a minister for north Wales identifiable as the person who will lead for the government on issues where there are cross-cutting things that are important to north Wales.

"That's the sort of thing I mean by a collective government and it helps with anonymity.

"I think it means there are more voices, more faces, more opportunities for people in Wales to engage with the Welsh Government and my aim is to break down some of those barriers by operating in that way."