I welcome Vaughan Gething to his new role as First Minister. I know we will work positively and constructively with him and his team. No doubt he will take some time to find his feet – who wouldn’t in the most challenging political job in Wales.

There is much to build on and Mark Drakeford will leave big shoes to fill when he formally ends his role. His calm, detailed and methodical style has been a huge plus for the nation: a stark contrast to the drama king/queen style of recent Tory leaders.

Monmouthshire has benefitted tremendously from our positive relationship with the Wales Government since we came into office. We have built a solid foundation on which we can now work with a new First Minister.

As an example, our close partnership has enabled the Welsh Government to reverse their decision, taken during the previous administration, not to endorse the previous local development plan. Among other things, we are now working closely to deliver the first zero carbon affordable housing schemes that Monmouthshire has seen.

We have received the highest allocation of active travel funding (£6.99m) helping residents walk, cycle or wheel instead of using the car. And with Welsh Government support, we are piloting a new approach to integrating home-to-school bus services, with secondary school pupils given bus passes where there are suitable scheduled services.

In education, again with backing, we have rescued and resuscitated the plans for a Welsh medium primary school in Monmouth which had become moribund under the last Conservative administration and we have also secured a 100 per cent increase in the adult education grant.

Nothing in today’s political world is easy or straightforward. While many of the spotlights shine on Westminster, here, too, every task of the work of both councils and the devolved government has become a huge uphill struggle, as steep as the slopes of our wonderful Welsh hills and mountains.

Collectively we have funding gaps which are challenging, economies which are at best fragile and a public to serve, among whom many find life harder than ever.

In the abstract, Mr Gething might have wished to take over the top job from a weak predecessor at a time when the outlook appears to be rosy. None of that applies and he will follow a superb leader and find an in-tray full to overflowing.

We will do our very best here to make his task easier.