{"id":122067,"date":"2023-12-13T11:59:55","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T11:59:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leviolonrouge.com\/?p=122067"},"modified":"2023-12-13T11:59:55","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T11:59:55","slug":"mark-drakeford-resigns-as-first-minster-of-wales-as-popularity-hits-18-month-low","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leviolonrouge.com\/politics\/mark-drakeford-resigns-as-first-minster-of-wales-as-popularity-hits-18-month-low\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Drakeford resigns as First Minster of Wales as popularity hits 18-month low"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mark Drakeford announces he's stepping down as Welsh Labour leader<\/h3>\n

Mark Drakeford has announced he is standing down as Welsh First Minister.<\/p>\n

The Labour politician, who has been Wales’ leader since December 2018, said he hoped his replacement could be in place before Easter next year.<\/p>\n

At a news conference in Cardiff, he 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.”<\/p>\n

Mr Drakeford’s poll ratings have taken a hit in recent months and he has come under criticism for policies including Wales’s new 20mph speed limit.<\/p>\n

A YouGov poll of 1,004 Welsh voters for ITV Cymru Wales and Cardiff University earlier this month found his popularity is at an 18-month low, with 56 percent believing he is doing a bad job of being First Minister.<\/p>\n

Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies said: \u201cI wish Mark well as he stands down from the helm.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile we may have different visions for Wales, I know I’m joined by colleagues in holding a huge amount of respect for his dedication to the job of First Minister.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s important, however, with this announcement that there is no distraction from the really important job of delivering for the people of Wales.<\/p>\n

\u201cLabour politicians jockeying for the role of First Minister must not detract from this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Drakeford was first elected to the Senedd in 2011 as the Member for Cardiff West.<\/p>\n

He served in various ministerial roles from 2013 under the leadership of Carwyn Jones, before succeeding him as First Minister and Welsh Labour leader in 2018.<\/p>\n

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer previously said Mr Drakeford’s administration was the “blueprint for what Labour could do in government across the UK”.<\/p>\n

He was speaking at the Welsh Labour conference in 2022.<\/p>\n

But he declined to repeat the claim ahead of this year’s Labour Party conference in Liverpool.<\/p>\n