New blow for Welsh Labour as Health Secretary Jeremy Miles decides to stand down

Martin Shipton

Welsh Labour has suffered another blow with the news that Health Secretary Jeremy Miles has decided to stand down from the Senedd at next May’s election.

The announcement from the Neath MS came out of the blue and follows the release of a hugely disappointing opinion poll that puts the party on just 14% support in Wales, a long way behind both Plaid Cymru and Reform UK, who are vying for the top slot.

Early last year Mr Miles was narrowly defeated by Vaughan Gething in a party contest to see who would succeed Mark Drakeford as Welsh Labour leader and First Minister.

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Donation

Four months later Mr Gething was forced to resign over his decision to accept a £200,000 donation to his leadership campaign from businessman David Neal, who had received two suspended jail sentences for dumping toxic sludge in the precious wetlands landscape of the Gwent Levels.

Supporters of Mr Gething objected to the idea of Mr Miles taking over, and Eluned Morgan was installed in the posts as a unifying candidate.

Mr Miles, who was first elected in 2016, wrote to the First Minister to explain his decision.

In the letter to Baroness Morgan, Mr Miles he explained that “on reflection" he had decided it was time to find a new challenge and so would not run as a candidate next May.

He said: "Upon reflection this summer, I decided that the end of this Senedd term is the time for me to seek a new and different challenge, one which allows me perhaps to strike a better balance between work and those in my life who I love."

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Trust

He thanked Ms Morgan for the "trust she had shown" in appointing him as Health Secretary, adding: "The health and social care workforce are a daily inspiration to me. I will continue to devote every day I have left in the role to building on the progress we are already seeing in reducing waiting times and improving health and care services - the priorities you have set out.

"I joined the Cabinet the year after I was first given the immense honour of being elected to the Senedd to represent the communities of Neath constituency, almost a decade ago.

"It has been a privilege, and I have worked with many wonderful people, to whom I am endlessly thankful. As you will know, being in frontline politics is all-consuming and takes precedence over so much else in life. The pressure is real and sustained over a long period."

Mr Miles was appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care in September 2024 but previously had responsibility for the Economy, Energy and Welsh Language brief. He also previously served as Education Minister, Constitutional Affairs Minister and Counsel General.

Prior to being elected to the Senedd, he sought selection to be Labour’s Westminster candidate for Aberavon, but was defeated by one vote by Stephen Kinnock, who went on to be elected as the seat’s MP.

'Real blow'

A Welsh Labour insider said: “This is a real blow at the end of a difficult few weeks for Welsh Labour. Jeremy Miles is a huge loss to a Senedd Labour group that is already losing considerable experience. He is an articulate Welsh speaker who most members still saw as a future leader.

“Jeremy’s narrow loss to Vaughan Gething, who willfully damaged our party in his pursuit of victory, remains an open sore.

“We need to go into the election with a team that is ready to govern and lead Welsh Labour into the future. That has just become a lot harder with the loss of Jeremy Miles.”