Wales’ new First Minister Eluned Morgan to name health secretary

Eluned Morgan is expected to appoint Wales’ new health secretary later, on her first full day as first minister.

She became the first woman to lead the Welsh government on Tuesday and has held the health role herself since 2021.

Her successor in the health department will inherit record NHS waiting lists and be the subject of frequent attacks from opposition parties.

Ms Morgan will also confirm Huw Irranca-Davies as deputy first minister, and she will also announce who will be who her counsel general, or chief legal adviser.

Mr Irranca-Davies, the climate change and rural affairs aecretary, stood on a “joint unity ticket” with Ms Morgan for the Welsh Labour leadership.

The health portfolio can be seen as something of a poisoned chalice, given the huge challenges facing the NHS and social services.

But the last three first ministers had all previously done the health job.

Whoever takes on the post might not be there long.

It is possible the appointment will be temporary, ahead of a full cabinet reshuffle next month.

The new first minister was nominated by Senedd members, recalled from their summer break to replace Vaughan Gething, who resigned last month.

He quit after four members of his cabinet resigned their jobs, and Ms Morgan was elected unopposed as Welsh Labour leader.

Mr Gething, Wales’ first black first minister, became mired in controversy after accepting donations from a man twice convicted of environmental offences for his election campaign and sacking one of his cabinet ministers over leaked messages.

Ms Morgan said she would now embark on a summer “listening exercise” to gauge the priorities of the people of Wales and help the Welsh government to “prioritise”.

She told BBC Wales Today she thought public priorities would include tackling “the longest waits” for NHS treatment, improving “educational standards, turning the economy around, all of those things”.

But she warned that “we’ve got to be realistic”.

“We’ve got 18 months to the next [Senedd] election.

“We’ve got a limited budget, but what we do have now that’s different is a Labour government in Westminster who are anxious and keen to work with us.”

She said Keir Starmer’s UK Labour government would “respect the devolution settlement” but “where we can, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t work together”.

Asked if her government might receive more money from the UK Treasury, she said: “Well, let’s have a look. Certainly they have offered more money now to people in certain public sectors.

“We will get a certain amount of money as a result of that, so there will be some more money coming into the system.”