MID and West Wales AM Eluned Morgan has announced that she would like to stand for election to be the next leader of the Labour Party in Wales.

Ms Morgan, Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning, has made it clear that she believes a thorough debate should take place regarding the future direction of Labour Party policy in Wales and that the opportunity must be seized to renew the party in office through the election of a new leader.

The Former MEP and Former Shadow Minister in the House of Lords said: “Labour has been in power in Wales since the Assembly was established back in 1999; I believe that I would be the candidate to represent change in this election.

"I am a relatively new member of the National Assembly, but I have decades of broader political experience having represented Wales in the European Parliament for 15 years and served on the front benches in the House of Lords.

"The party needs to focus unrelentingly on tackling poverty in Wales, and the way to do that is to grow the economy and provide quality jobs and training.

"The fall-out from Brexit will be the dominating issue for at least the next five years in Wales, and I feel that my 15 years’ experience as a Welsh MEP in Brussels has taught me how to negotiate difficult and conflicting positions.”