Nominations for the next leader of the Welsh Labour party are set to open on Thursday, July 9, two months after Eluned Morgan resigned following the party's devastating defeat in the 2026 Senedd Election. The Welsh Executive Committee (WEC) agreed on the timeline during a meeting on Wednesday evening.
Interim leadership and historic defeat
Ken Skates, the Senedd member for Fflint Wrecsam, has served as interim leader since Morgan stepped down in May. Her resignation came after Welsh Labour suffered an historic defeat, securing only nine of the 96 seats in the newly expanded Senedd. Morgan became the first sitting First Minister to lose her seat in a re-election bid.
Skates, first elected to the Senedd in 2011, has held several Welsh Government portfolios including transport and economy. In an interview after taking the interim role, he said he did not expect a contest but "wouldn't resent anyone stepping up and stepping forward."
Nomination process and timeline
The WEC confirmed that nominations for Senedd Members will open on Thursday, July 9, and close before the Senedd summer recess begins on Thursday, July 16. The next stage of the process will be determined after nominations close. A full timetable for the leadership election is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Tribute to Eluned Morgan
Paying tribute to Morgan after her departure, Skates said: "I would like to thank Eluned for everything she has done over the past two years as our First Minister and in her 30 years of service to Wales and the Labour Party. Her grit and determination in the face of true challenge is something we as a party will always be proud of. She broke the glass ceiling and her role in history as the first woman to lead our party and country is an achievement second to none."
Morgan had led Welsh Labour since 2024 and became First Minister, but the 2026 election saw a dramatic collapse in support, reducing the party from its previous 30 seats to just nine. The result marked a historic low for Labour in Wales, prompting a leadership contest to rebuild the party ahead of the next Senedd elections.
