Mark Drakeford

Mark Drakeford served as First Minister of Wales from December 2018 to March 2024, the longest-serving Welsh Labour FM after Rhodri Morgan. A Cardiff West MS and academic economist, he led Wales through the Covid-19 pandemic with a more cautious approach than England, maintaining stricter restrictions and introducing the Alert Level framework independently of Westminster. His tenure saw the passage of the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024, which expanded the chamber from 60 to 96 members and introduced proportional representation — the institutional change that ultimately enabled Plaid Cymru's majority sweep in May 2026.

Drakeford resigned as FM in March 2024 and was succeeded by Vaughan Gething. He remained a Labour MS for Cardiff West until the May 2026 Senedd election, in which Welsh Labour collapsed from 30 to 9 seats — a result widely attributed in part to the credibility damage of the Gething era. Drakeford's own legacy is contested: supporters credit the PR reforms and pandemic management; critics argue the Welsh NHS deterioration began on his watch.