JUST IN: ELUNED MORGAN SWORN IN AS FIRST FEMALE LEADER OF WALES

Read Time:1 Minute, 19 Second

Eluned Morgan took the oath of office as the first female leader of Wales on Tuesday, following her election by members of the devolved parliament to succeed Vaughan Gething, who held the position for a mere four months.

Morgan, 57, was nominated by the party to be the first minister of Wales after taking over as Welsh Labour leader last month.

Recalled from break, lawmakers in the 60-member Senedd legislature for Wales confirmed the appointment.

After being elected in March and becoming the first African American head of state in a European nation, Gething resigned last month amid a flurry of controversy.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, leader of the UK Labour party, called Morgan’s election as head in Wales “fantastic news” and said she brought “a wealth of experience and a track record of delivery” to the job.

Morgan, a member of the Senedd since 2016, was a member of the European Union parliament from 1994 to 1996, during which time she ran as a “unity candidate.”

In recent months, Welsh Labour has become divided by Gething’s acceptance of a £200,000 ($255,500) gift from a man convicted of environmental offenses and a leaked phone message that resulted in the resignation of a minister.

He retracted that decision, declared he would fight on, and lost a no-confidence vote.

Morgan received the backing of every other prospective candidate anticipated to compete for the party leadership position.

With limited devolved powers, the Cardiff-based Welsh government sets policy in domains like transportation, the environment, health, and education.