Mark Drakeford in bid to replace outgoing First Minister Carwyn Jones

Welsh finance secretary Mark Drakeford has confirmed he will to stand in the race to succeed Carwyn Jones as First Minister and Welsh Labour leader.

The Cardiff West AM made the announcement this morning during an interview on BBC Radio Wales.

Mr Drakeford already has the backing of eight Labour AM’s and has been installed as the bookies favourite to take over from the outgoing Mr Jones who announced at the weekend he is to stand down.

The First Minister made the announcement at the Welsh Labour party conference in Llandudno on Saturday, Mr Jones said he would stand down in the autumn.

Delyn AM Hannah Blythyn paid tribute to Mr Jones she said: “I’d like to thank the First Minister for his service to our people, our party and our country as well as giving me the incredible privilege of being able to serve in government.”

As well as Mark Drakeford, Vaughan Gething and North Wales AM Ken Skates have both been mentioned as possible successors to the First Minister but have yet to make any comment.

The Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, has warned that Wales faces a period of “rudderless leadership” in Welsh Government, if the process to select Carwyn Jones’ replacement is allowed to drag on until December.

Mr Davies has called for swift action to replace the First Minister, and for the election of a new leader “within weeks – not months”.

Internal wrangling within Welsh Labour over the electoral system used to elect leaders could delay a contest by months, with some Labour members calling for the introduction of ‘one-member-one-vote’.

But Mr Davies is concerned that a “vacuum at the heart of Welsh politics” could have serious consequences for already struggling public services in Wales.

Mr Davies said: “The First Minister’s decision to stand down has created an immediate vacuum at the heart of Welsh politics, and we now face a period of rudderless leadership whilst the Labour Party works out how to elect his replacement.

They need to get a move on, for the sake of our public services and public confidence in devolution.”

Mark was born and brought up in west Wales before moving to Cardiff more than 30 years ago.

Since then he has lived in the Pontcanna area of Cardiff.

A former probation officer, youth justice worker and Barnardos project leader in Ely and Caerau, he has been a professor of Social Policy and Applied Social Sciences at Cardiff University.

Mark has also taught previously at Swansea University.

Mark became the Assembly Member for Cardiff West in May 2011.

He was Chair of the Assembly’s Health and Social Care Committee from July 2011 – March 13 and of the All-Wales Programme Monitoring Committee for European funds from July 2011 – March 13.

He was appointed Minister for Health and Social Services in March 2013.

Mark was re-elected as the Assembly Member for Cardiff West in May 2016.

Shortly after the new Government was formed, he was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government.