Mark Drakeford resigns as First Minister of Wales but promises to 'secure Labour victory' in upcoming election

Mark Drakeford has announced his resignation as First Minister of Wales. The leader of Welsh Labour said his 'time has now come' for him to step down from his position, which he has held since 2018.

In a resignation statement posted to X, formerly Twitter, the 69-year-old said: “When I stood for election as Leader of Welsh Labour, I said I would stand down during the current Senedd term. That time has now come. It has been a great privilege to serve as leader of this party.

“Together, we have achieved a huge amount over the last five years in some of the toughest times we have known. Despite all the chaos in Westminster, the ongoing impact of Brexit, climate change and the pandemic, by working together, we have delivered record results for Welsh Labour in the local government and Senedd elections.

“Our greatest task is still ahead of us – to return a Labour UK Government and start repairing the huge damage which has been inflicted by the Tories over the last 13 years. I will work tirelessly to secure that Labour victory and to continue delivering on the promises we made to people all across Wales in 2021 to deliver a stronger, fairer and greener Wales.”