North Wales politician Ken Skates has been formally confirmed as the new leader of Welsh Labour after receiving the unanimous backing of the party's nine Members of the Senedd.

Skates, who has been serving as interim leader since May's Senedd election, was nominated by all nine Labour MSs, securing the leadership unopposed.

The appointment follows a challenging election for Labour, which saw the party's representation in the Senedd reduced to nine seats after 27 years leading the Welsh Government. Former First Minister and Labour leader Eluned Morgan also lost her seat, paving the way for Plaid Cymru to form the new Welsh Government.

A familiar figure in North Wales politics, Skates has represented Clwyd South in the Senedd since 2011. During his political career, he has held several senior ministerial roles, including Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transportand later Minister for North Wales and Transport.

He has been closely associated with a number of major projects affecting the region, including improvements to transport infrastructure, investment in North Wales rail services, economic development initiatives, and efforts to strengthen the North Wales Growth Deal. He has also been a long-standing advocate for improving cross-border links between North Wales and north-west England, reflecting the region's close economic and social ties.

Following his appointment, Skates said he was "deeply honoured" to receive the unanimous support of his colleagues.

"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," he said.

"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."

His confirmation comes just a day after the new Plaid Cymru-led Welsh Government failed to secure Senedd backing for supplementary spending plans after Welsh Labour declined to support changes to the budget, underlining the increasingly influential role Labour is expected to play as the main opposition in the Senedd.

As leader, Skates will now be tasked with rebuilding the party following its election defeat while holding the Welsh Government to account ahead of the next Senedd election. His experience in government and his strong links to North Wales are expected to shape Labour's approach as it seeks to reconnect with voters across Wales.