MARK Drakeford has been named as the new leader of the Welsh Labour and presumptive new first minister.

Mr Drakeford beat competitors Vaughan Gething, and Eluned Morgan, to the role.

The Cardiff West AM had been the bookies’ favourite since Carwyn Jones announced at the Welsh Labour conference in April he would stand down by the end of 2018.

Mr Jones will remain first minister until Tuesday, when he will write to the Queen to tender his resignation. The new first minister will then be officially elected the following day.

Although both Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Conservatives are nominating their respective leaders Adam Price and Paul Davies, Mr Drakeford will be elected to the role, barring an extremely unlikely rebellion by Labour AMs.

Who is Mark Drakeford, the new leader of Welsh Labour?

The oldest, and most politically experienced, of the three candidates, the 64-year-old was born and brought up in Carmarthenshire.

Working as a probation officer, a youth justice worker and a lecturer, his first elected role was on South Glamorgan County Council, where he served from 1985 until 1993. He also worked as a special advisor to Rhodri Morgan during his tenure as first minister.

He succeeded his political mentor as AM for Cardiff West in 2011.

Mr Drakeford has since served in a number of cabinet roles – firstly as health and social services minister from 2013 until the 2016 Assembly Election. Following the election he was made cabinet secretary for finance and local government and, following a reshuffle in November last year, was given sole responsibility for finance.

He has also been acting as Wales’s de-facto Brexit minister, and has attended a number of cross-governmental meetings with the other UK governments and EU representatives.

Mr Drakeford was the first to announce he would stand to replace Carwyn Jones, confirming he would put himself forward for the role just days after Mr Jones announced his plans to resign.

He received by far the greatest number of nominations, leading some to raise concerns this was limiting the number of candidates who could make it onto the ballot paper.

Mr Drakeford has said his top priority as first minister would be to support children living in poverty.

He is believed be sceptical on the M4 relief road. Although Carwyn Jones had repeatedly said he would make a decision on the scheme before he left office, earlier this week it was revealed this had been delayed, probably until next year.

The most left-wing of the three candidates, Mr Drakeford has won the support of the influential Corbynista pressure group Momentum, which has campaigned vigorously on his behalf.

We spoke to Mr Drakeford during the campaign on some of his top priorities. To read what he said click here.

Who from Gwent backed Mark Drakeford during his leadership campaign?

John Griffiths, Newport East AM

Jayne Bryant, Newport West AM

Rhianon Passmore, Islwyn AM

Paul Flynn, Newport West MP

Wayne David, Caerphilly MP

Dame Rosemary Butler, former Newport West AM and Assembly presiding officer

Bob Wellington, former leader of Torfaen County Borough Council and the Welsh Local Government Association

Islwyn Constituency Labour Party

Caerphilly Constituency Labour Party