Vaughan Gething Elected First Black Leader of Welsh Labour Party
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Name & Position | Vaughan Gething |
| Current Role | Economic Minister of Wales |
| New Role | Elected as the new leader of the Welsh Labour Party |
| Historic Milestone | First Black person to lead a European country |
| Early Life | - Born in Zambia in 1974 to a Welsh father and Zambian mother - Moved to Wales at age two, later resettled in England due to job discrimination against his father - Attended Aberystwyth and Cardiff universities - Worked as a trade union lawyer - First Black president of both the Wales Trades Union Congress and the Wales National Union of Students |
| Political Journey | - Joined the Welsh legislature in 2011 - Became the first Black minister in any devolved UK country in 2013 - Served as Wales' health minister during the Covid-19 pandemic - Currently serves as the economy minister - Won 51.7% of the vote in the Welsh Labour leadership election |
| Priorities as First Minister | - Address the cost-of-living crisis - Tackle challenges facing farmers - Improve healthcare and education systems - To be confirmed by the Welsh Parliament (Senedd) as Wales' fifth first minister since 1999 |
| Diversity in UK Leadership | - Rishi Sunak (Indian heritage): U.K. Prime Minister - Humza Yousaf (Pakistani heritage): Scottish First Minister - Vaughan Gething (Zambian heritage): First Minister of Wales |
| Wales as a Devolved Nation | - One of the three countries on the island of Great Britain (Wales, England, Scotland) - Part of the United Kingdom (Wales, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland) - Has its own government and parliament (Senedd Cymru) responsible for making laws and decisions for Wales |