February–March 2024 Welsh Labour leadership election|
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The February–March 2024 Welsh Labour leadership election took place to select Mark Drakeford's successor as leader of Welsh Labour, who in turn would become First Minister of Wales. Drakeford announced his resignation and retirement on 13 December 2023, five years after his election. Voting began in February 2024 with the new leader announced on 16 March 2024. Vaughan Gething won the election with 51.7% of the vote. The next scheduled Senedd election is due on or before 7 May 2026.
Gething was the first black First Minister of Wales and the first black leader of any country in Europe. At the time of Gething's victory, three of the four governments in the UK had a non-white leader. Gething remained in office as first minister and party leader for less than five months, after a government crisis which followed allegations of perjury and resulted in his loss of a non-confidence motion. His resignation in July 2024 sparked a second Welsh Labour leadership ballot which saw Eluned Morgan elected unopposed as his successor.