FORMER BBC journalist Ken Skates was confirmed today as the new leader of the Welsh Labour Party after the party’s historic defeat in this year’s Senedd elections.

Mr Skates hailed his party’s fights against “injustice, intolerance, nepotism and cruelty” as he accepted the job following a period as interim leader since the resignation of Eluned Morgan in May.

Ms Morgan quit her position as party leader after she lost the election which saw Labour lose the National Assembly for Wales for the first time since 1999, making her the first leader to lose her seat in British electoral history.

Labour has also been the largest party in the country for more than a century.

Nominations opened for a permanent replacement last week, which saw Mr Skates confirmed as new leader after receiving the unanimous backing of the nine-strong Labour Senedd group.

“I am deeply honoured to have the unanimous backing of my colleagues in the Senedd in seeking the leadership of Welsh Labour,” Mr Skates said.

“I joined the party as a 14-year-old, and my belief still stands that no child’s future should be determined by their background.

“That no young person should be judged on anything other than the efforts they make and the decency they show to others.

“The Labour movement for me is a movement for fairness, justice, security and liberty.

“It is a movement that seeks to empower people and communities, to fight against injustice, intolerance, nepotism and cruelty.”

Welsh Labour’s new leader has previously worked as journalist for the Wrexham Leader newspaper and at BBC Wales.

The 50-year-old Mr Skates has held several roles in the Welsh government including transport secretary and economy and infrastructure secretary.