Former First Minister Mark Drakeford has said the thing is he most proud of during his time in charge of Wales was changing the law on organ donation, as he reflected on his political carrer.
In an exclusive interview with CJS News Drakeford, who was Health Minister when the law was passed and took effect, said “More than a decade later, there are lives that have been saved as a result of that legislation.”
“It reflects I believe that sense of Welsh political culture, where we are interested in the welfare of others as well as the interests of ourselves. So yeah, when it comes to a point where I will look back, that’ll be one of the things that I will reflect on.
The Human Transplantation Act was the first of its kind in the UK and the first major legislation passed since the Senedd acquired law-making powers in 2011. It meant people would now opt-out from becoming an organ donor when they die instead of having to opt in, increasing the number of available donors.
Drakeford, 70, was reluctant to discuss his wider legacy. He said he tried to follow the advice of his predecessor Rhodri Morgan to “always look forward. Never look back.”
“There’s nothing you can do about today, even on a difficult day, don’t go home and dwell on today, because there’s nothing you can do about it. Just think about what you can still do, the opportunities you still have.
A former academic, Drakeford previously served as a special advisor to Morgan, and is widely recognised as the architect of “clear red water”, the principle of Welsh Labour retaining a political identity distinct from the Westminster party.
Drakeford said “the basic proposition of it is still relevant, which is that devolution is about creating a distinctive political culture in Wales, one that meets the preferences of Welsh people, and that the first responsibility of a Welsh Government is to put the case for Wales.
“The fact that they are a Labour government [in Westminster], and we are a Labour government, should never mean that we stand back from making the case that we think is the right one for Wales.
Previously, Drakeford has likened his decision to that of left-wing MP Tony Benn who said he was “going to stop being an MP in order to spend more time in politics”. He has also expressed an interest in returning to teaching.
The Cardiff West MS is among 13 Labour MSs who have announced they are standing down. The Senedd will expand at the next election from 60 to 96 members as well as switching to a fully proportional voting system. Drakeford said he’s not worried by the loss of institutional experience, describing the upcoming election as a “generational shift”.
“There have been a number of us in the Labour Party in Wales who have been part of this 25 year journey. I myself am very cheered up at the prospect of there being people in the Senedd whose view of Wales and Welsh politics will be the next 25 years.
Having been in power since the Senedd’s founding in 1999, Welsh Labour are among the most electorally successful political parties in the democratic world. Current opinion polling for the next Senedd election shows a three-way race between Plaid Cymru and Reform, who have surged in popularity in recent months. But Drakeford said polls this far out didn’t worry him.
“I remember being told in 2021 at the start of an election campaign, with only six weeks to go, that this would be the worst result ever for Labour, and six weeks later, we we got our best result ever.
“It will be a hard election. It always is a hard election for Labour, because the longer you are in power, the more potent the time for a change slogan becomes.
“We will work very hard, as we always do. We’ll set out the things we want to achieve over the next four years, and then we take our chance and make our case to the electorate.