MARK Drakeford has announced he will resign as Welsh Labour leader with immediate effect after five years in the job.
This means a new leadership contest will be held and the 69-year-old Labour politician said he hoped a new First Minister could be in place before Easter 2024.
In a resignation statement posted to X, formerly Twitter, Mr Drakeford said: “When I stood for election as Leader of Welsh Labour, I said I would stand down during the current Senedd term.
“That time has now come.
“It has been a great privilege to serve as leader of this party.”
At a news conference in Cardiff, Mr Wakeford confirmed he will remain “as First Minister in the full sense of that job” in the meantime.
He insisted he still had a lot to achieve over the coming months and there would be “plenty of time for political obituaries and retrospection once I’ve ceased to be First Minister, but not before”.
The Welsh politician has suffered a slump in poll ratings and has recently come under fire for policies including the widespread use of 20mph limits on Welsh roads.
Commenting on the news, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Drakeford was a “titan” of Welsh politics.
“Mark has set a clear standard for public service in UK politics, always putting others before himself,” Sir Keir said.
Meanwhile, Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said: “While we may have different visions for Wales, I know I’m joined by colleagues in holding a huge amount of respect for his dedication to the job of first minister.”
