First Minister resigns: best bits of Drakeford’s tenure
Mark Drakeford may not have been to everyone’s liking. His announcement of his plans to step down were met with glee from many, but also some sadness from some, as the man who led us through covid, the man who implemented the most controversial law in Welsh political history, and the man who brought devolution to the front of peoples minds hangs up his boots.
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00:00 So the day we were told about years ago finally came, but no one somehow saw it coming.
00:05 Mark Drakeford has said he'll be standing down as First Minister as soon as his replacement can be found.
00:09 The Cardiff West MS has been the head of Welsh Labour since 2018, and then five years on, to the day exactly I might add,
00:16 he'll be passing on the mantle to the First Leader to someone else.
00:19 If you'd have asked people way back in 2018 who the First Minister was, then many people might not have known.
00:24 But now there's virtually no one in Wales who doesn't know the name Mark Drakeford.
00:29 During Covid, he had absolutely unprecedented exposure.
00:32 He was plastered across the news, papers and certainly social media posts daily.
00:36 And, like I said, love him or hate him, he certainly changed the game for Welsh politics.
00:41 Thanks to the well-tempered, affable man, devolution has taken on a whole new level of importance to the people of Wales.
00:47 There have rarely been a more tumultuous five years in politics.
00:50 He led us through a global pandemic, a cost of living crisis, four Prime Ministers, the death of the Queen,
00:55 the biggest political uproar in Welsh history in the 20 mile an hour law, and on a personal note, sadly, earlier on this year,
01:01 Mark Drakeford lost his wife of over 40 years, Clare Drakeford.
01:04 Besides his legacy though, he's also had some proper highlight reel moments,
01:08 many of which were up against his nemesis and political adversary, Andrew R.T. Davies.
01:13 The two men have shared highs and lows together in their First Minister's questions sessions in the Senedd,
01:18 and have had some legendary bust-ups.
01:21 Cast your minds back to October 2022, when the Tory leader questioned Labour's handling of the NHS in Wales.
01:27 The normally calm Drakeford was anything but.
01:31 With the mess that your party has made to the budgets of this country, to the reputation of this country around the world,
01:40 that you promise those people that there will be more to come,
01:44 and you think you turn up here this afternoon and claim some sort of moral high ground,
01:50 what sort of world do you belong in?
01:53 Or even more recently, seemingly unconnected to the questions, Mark Drakeford brought up alleged misogynistic language
01:58 used by Davies against the Llywydd, Ellen Jones.
02:01 Mark Drakeford apparently revels in the chaos.
02:04 The sorts of foul-mouthed, misogynist, well he shares the misogyny, we know,
02:10 the foul-mouthed misogyny that was characteristic, yes, I know.
02:14 Yeah, yeah, yeah, look, you have a go now.
02:18 Andrew R.T. Davies.
02:20 He thinks he can say anything he likes about anybody else.
02:23 The minute, the minute, the minute you draw attention to his own record, he's on his feet complaining about it.
02:30 I've only had the chance to speak to the First Minister once so far during mine and his tenure,
02:35 when he told me about Wales and its rightful place as a sporting nation.
02:39 Wales is a sporting nation, isn't it?
02:42 You know, anything that is going on in the sporting field, people in Wales will be interested in it.
02:47 Mark Drakeford will almost certainly go down as the first First Minister to really make a genuine impact on the people of Wales.
02:53 Whether his time as Premier is remembered for the 20 mile an hour law,
02:56 or lockdowns or bringing devolution to the front of Welsh people's minds,
03:00 what's for sure, it will be remembered.
03:02 James P. Jockins, Local TV.