Mark Drakeford has been our First Minister for 5 years. He may or may not be the most popular leader Wales has had, but he has certainly been the most well known. His time through covid pushed his recognition through the roof and ultimately changed the role of First Minister. We’re at the Senedd for his last ever FMQs.
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00:00 Thanks most of all, though, Di Pulewydd, to the people across Wales.
00:07 Mark Drakeford's farewell was emotional.
00:10 He spoke of his honour of governing the people of Wales,
00:12 looked back on the tumultuous times throughout his tenure,
00:15 from austerity to Covid to the cost of living crisis.
00:18 But his adversary, Andrew R.T. Davies,
00:20 was also clearly feeling the emotions of the moment,
00:23 and he spoke about the First Minister writing to him during a health scare.
00:26 But, of course, he also looked back on one of the most infamous moments
00:29 in Senate history, when the pair had a genuine screaming match across a chamber.
00:34 And one of the things that I find so disturbing in modern politics
00:39 is people recall that point where you and I had that heated exchange,
00:44 and they say, "You must really hate each other."
00:48 Hate is a terrible word.
00:51 It is a really poisonous, infectious word in a negative way.
00:57 That's not hate. That is passion.
01:00 That is conviction, and that is what politics should be about.
01:04 We can end by putting a positive spin on your own words, Mark.
01:09 I sincerely wish you all the best as you feel the wind on your face
01:14 and in the air around you, and for the sun to shine on your Sophia Garden somewhere.
01:20 Gan dawb, o grwp Llaid Cymru.
01:23 Caring about the people who need the collective effort of government the most.
01:30 Knowing that together we will always do more than we can ever do apart.
01:35 These are the great strengths of the nation that we are.
01:40 They have sustained me in the most difficult times that we've faced over that period.
01:46 I'm grateful to all those people who help.
01:49 I'm grateful to all the colleagues here.
01:51 I'm most grateful of all to the people that we are lucky enough to serve.
01:56 [APPLAUSE]