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.
Gething, who became the first black leader of a government in a European country when he was elected in March, stepped down last month after a series of controversies.
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 offences and a leaked phone message that resulted in the resignation of a minister.
He lost a no-confidence, vowed to fight on, but reversed that decision.
All the other potential candidates expected to run in the party leadership race threw their support behind Morgan.
The Welsh government, based in Cardiff, has limited devolved powers to set policy in areas such as transport, environment, health and education.
