Eluned Morgan is poised to turn into Wales’ subsequent first minister, after being introduced because the first feminine chief of Welsh Labour.
It follows the resignation of Vaughan Gething, who introduced he was stepping down final week after a collection of controversies.
Ms Morgan will turn into first minister as soon as she is put in by the Senedd, at a date but to be set.
As soon as she does take workplace, she’s going to face quite a few imminent challenges.
1. Stability the books
One in all Ms Morgan’s first huge jobs will likely be to cope with the Welsh authorities’s funds.
With not sufficient cash to fund every thing, choices on the place to make cuts will likely be looming.
Welsh ministers have usually chosen to pump additional money into the NHS on the expense of different departments.
Within the final 12 months they got here below hearth for chopping again assist for the humanities.
How they resolve to divvy up the pie may very well be a supply of additional ache for the brand new administration.
2. Heal Welsh Labour’s divisions
Labour’s divisions bust out into the open when 4 senior members of the Welsh authorities resigned on the similar time to drive Mr Gething out.
Ms Morgan has promised to unite the group and heal among the divisions it has confronted.
However with numbers tight within the Senedd – Labour have precisely half of the seats within the 60 seat parliament – open dissent could make the celebration’s maintain on energy rocky.
3. Do a cope with the opposition
Labour can not govern within the Senedd – or go its subsequent funds – with out opposition assist.
A part of what introduced down Mr Gething was the unwillingness of Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds to work with him.
That can in all probability change below Ms Morgan. Though, even when they’re extra prepared to have interaction together with her, neither Plaid nor Ms Dodds would wish to be taken with no consideration.
They might wish to reduce a cope with Ms Morgan. Prior to now, that has meant tasks or concepts supported by Plaid or the Lib Dems getting funding.
4. Well being service
Ms Morgan, who has been Wales’ well being secretary since 2021, will come below renewed strain to enhance the efficiency of the Welsh NHS as she steps as much as turn into first minister.
Round a fifth of the Welsh inhabitants are at present on a hospital ready record – a file excessive.
Surveys constantly present that well being is without doubt one of the high points, if not the highest precedence, for voters in Wales.
In April, Ms Morgan pointed to progress being made on lowering the longest waits for remedy, with 97% of sufferers ready lower than two years in six out of seven well being board areas.
However this determine is considerably increased than in England.
5. Senedd election in 2026
Looming giant on the horizon is a Senedd election in 2026, at which the variety of Senedd members will improve from 60 to 96.
The voting system will even change, as first-past-the-post is scrapped in favour of a system that displays the share of the vote every celebration has obtained.
Ms Morgan will likely be conscious that Labour’s share of the vote in Wales fell by 4% at the newest basic election, in comparison with its 2019 end result.
A YouGov ballot for ITV Wales and Cardiff College in July additionally recommended that assist for Labour in Wales had slipped.
Mr Gething’s opponents inside Welsh Labour feared that he was partly guilty.
Ms Morgan will hope that, below her management, the celebration’s approval rankings will start to enhance.