WALES is set for its third First Minister in a year this autumn after Vaughan Gething bowed to pressure and stepped down from the role.

His short-lived term as First Minister was mired by controversy over a £200,000 donation from a convicted polluter, a lost no-confidence vote and the sacking of a minister accused of leaking.

No one comes out of the last four months covered in glory.

The question now is who has enough credibility to unite the Welsh Labour party and lead Wales.

Former Transport Minister, Lee Waters, who brought in the 20mph speed limits, wrote in a blog saying the party was ‘in a pickle’.

He adds: “After 25 years as the largest party in the Senedd, we have become the establishment.

“Our opposition is weak, and so like many political systems where single parties dominate we turn on ourselves from time to time in order to check power and keep ourselves honest.”

The Labour Party will choose its new leader in September, who will then become the new First Minister, the second time this year Wales’ leader has been chosen by party members and not the people of Wales.

Mid and west Wales MS, Eluned Morgan, who is Wales’ Health Minister, has put her named in the hat, standing on a "joint unity ticket" with Huw Irranca-Davies, who would serve as her deputy first minister.

It’s looking increasingly likely that Ms Morgan and Mr Irranca-Davies will be standing unopposed and Ms Morgan said she has the "strong endorsement" from the majority of the group.

At a time when there should be greater promise for Welsh Labour with friends in the hotseat at Westminster, this whole affair has mired what could have been a perfect opportunity to right the wrongs Wales has faced over the last decade.

What Wales needs right now is a focus on improving the lives and livelihoods of its residents, not internal party political bickering and point scoring.

From housing, jobs, to healthcare, we face a multitude of problems that need strong leadership and a clear vision from our leaders in Cardiff Bay.