July–September 2024 Welsh Labour leadership election

A leadership election will take place to select Vaughan Gething's successor as leader of Welsh Labour, who in turn will become First Minister of Wales. Gething announced his resignation on 16 July 2024, four months after his election. On 20 July Welsh Labour officials agreed a timeline for the election, with a new leader scheduled to be in place on 14 September.

Background
Following Mark Drakeford's resignation as First Minister of Wales and Leader of Welsh Labour, Vaughan Gething was elected to succeed him in the February–March 2024 Welsh Labour leadership election. Gething was officially nominated as First Minister by the Senedd on 20 March 2024, and announced his cabinet the following day. In the process, he became the first black First Minister of Wales, as well as the first black leader of any European country. His appointment to His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council was announced on 28 March 2024 as part of the 2024 Special Honours.

During the inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic response, Gething stated that he had not deliberately deleted any messages from his phone. On 7 May, Nation.Cymru obtained text messages from Gething in a Welsh Government group chat, in which he said "I'm deleting the messages in this group. They can be captured in an FOI [Freedom of Information request] and I think we are all in the right place on the choice being made." Gething denied allegations of perjury put to him in by Rhun ap Iorwerth in First Minister's Questions the same day, describing the allegations as 'obnoxious'. A few days later, he removed Hannah Blythyn from her role as Minister for Social Partnership, alleging that she was the leak of the text messages. She denied this. Blythyn was replaced by Sarah Murphy on 17 May.

On 17 May, Rhun ap Iorwerth announced that Plaid Cymru had withdrawn from the co-operation agreement with Welsh Labour. On 5 June, after just 77 days as First Minister, Gething faced a non-binding vote of no-confidence in him as First Minister, tabled by the Welsh Conservatives, in which he lost by a margin of 29 votes to 27. Despite losing the no confidence vote, Gething announced he would not resign as First Minister on 8 June. However, on 16 July, he announced his resignation, an hour after ministers Mick Antoniw, Julie James, Lesley Griffiths and Jeremy Miles stepped down from their posts. His resignation, announced 118 days into his premiership, will formally take effect when his successor is elected, and will make him the shortest serving First Minister since the role was created, a record previously held by Alun Michael as First Secretary of Wales.

Timeline
The timeline for the election was discussed by the Welsh Executive Committee on 20 July 2024 and announced on the same day. Nominations opened at 19:00 BST on 20 July and are scheduled to close at 12:00 on 24 July. Nominees will need the support of five Labour Members of the Senedd to be included on the ballot paper. Ballot papers will be sent out to members of Welsh Labour and their affiliated bodies, including trade unions, on 22 August, and must be returned by 13 September. The result will be announced on 14 September.

Potential

 * Mick Antoniw
 * Hannah Blythyn
 * Huw Irranca-Davies
 * Eluned Morgan
 * Ken Skates

Declined

 * Jeremy Miles, endorsed Morgan