March 17, 2024 – 2:13 pm
The Welsh Labor Party has elected Vaughan Gething as its new leader, making the 50-year-old politician the first black head of government in Europe. Politico writes.
On Saturday, Gething received 51.7 percent of the votes, and the former Health and Economy Minister will take over as Prime Minister next week.
His predecessor, Mark Drakeford, who led the Welsh government as head of the Welsh branch of the Labor Party, resigned in December.
After his election, Gething promised to address the challenges facing Wales, including the livelihoods crisis, disaffected farmers and deteriorating health and education systems.
In his speech to party members, Gething described it as a great honor to be the first black leader in Europe. “Today we open a new page in the history of our nation. A history that we write together,” he said.
Gething was born in the former British colony of Zambia, Gething's father was a vet from South Wales, and his mother worked on a chicken farm in Lusaka. His parents moved the family to Wales when he was two years old, and they later settled in England.
With parliamentary elections held in Britain this year, Gething will be an important player in Labor's efforts to end 14 years of Conservative rule, Politico reported.
