Vaughan Gething has been elected the head of Welsh Labour and will become the first black leader of a European country when he is confirmed as first minister next week.

Gething, who has worked as the health and the economy minister in the Labour-led government, succeeds Mark Drakeford after beating the education minister, Jeremy Miles.

He promised to improve the Welsh NHS, put green jobs at the forefront of the country’s economic future, build more homes and reliable transport systems, drive up education standards and guide Wales to a more prominent position on the world stage.

Gething, who won with 51.7% of the vote, said: “Today, we turn a page in the book of our nation’s history. A history we write together. Not just because I have the honour of becoming the first black leader in any European country – but because the generational dial has jumped too.

“Devolution is not something I have had to get used to or adapt to or apologise for. Devolution – Welsh solutions to Welsh problems – that’s in my blood. It’s what I’ve always known.”

Gething said the Welsh people were strongest in adversity. He said the NHS had its roots in Wales and it had shown “heroism and solidarity” during the miners’ strike of 1984-5. He said the country fought for the underdog.

He praised his rival for the leadership, Jeremy Miles, for speaking about his struggles as a young gay man and said this would give new confidence to thousands of Welsh boys and girls.

Gething turned quickly to the general election, claiming young people felt weighed down by a Tory party that did not care about its future and that people were exhausted by culture wars.

He said Labour could sweep the Tories out of office. “I know we can win the next general election … We can win if we stand together, linking arms to defeat the narrow forces of division that seek to turn a warm nation cold.”

Keir Starmer, leader of the UK Labour party, said: “Huge congratulations to Vaughan Gething on his election as leader of the Welsh Labour party. His appointment as first minister of Wales, the first Black leader in the UK, will be an historic moment that speaks to the progress and values of modern-day Wales.

“With his many years of experience in the Senedd, I know he will lead a hopeful, ambitious Welsh Labour government, in the face of a tired and failed Tory government in Westminster.

“On behalf of the entire UK Labour party, we look forward to campaigning with Vaughan in this new chapter for Wales, to deliver Labour governments across Britain.”

Gething, who turned 50 on Friday, has a challenging in-tray.

He will have to unite Welsh Labour after a divisive leadership campaign and prepare to lead the party into a general election. He must steer the country through the cost of living crisis and raise standards in health and education at a time of deep budget cuts.

There are also other tricky issues that Drakeford leaves behind, such as the country’s hugely controversial 20mph speed limit and environmental policy reforms that have led to farmers’ demonstrations on the steps of the Senedd.

Gething’s run for leader was hit by revelations that he took £200,000 for his leadership campaign from a company run by a man convicted of environmental offences. Eyebrows were also raised when it emerged that Miles, his only rival, was not eligible for support from Unite because he had not been a lay union official. Gething received the backing, which Miles’s supporters saw as a “stitch-up”. He will have to build bridges with Miles’s backers in the Senedd as a result.

Plaid Cymru’s leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth, said he was concerned about the controversy the campaign had been mired in.

He said: “It is a matter of deep concern that we now have an incoming first minister who before even taking up the highest public office is facing serious allegations and questions about his judgment.

“At the very least, Vaughan Gething should surely return the £200,000 campaign donation which has rightly drawn so much criticism from within his own party and beyond. This is not as good as it gets for Wales.”

Andrew RT Davies, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: “Gething has been part of a Labour Welsh government that has presided over record NHS waiting lists, the steepest decline in educational standards in the UK, the highest business rates in Britain, and is committed to the 20mph speed limit.”

The leadership announcement was made in a lecture theatre at sbarc (spark), a new social sciences Cardiff University building in the Welsh capital. Welsh Labour said 57.8% of members voted and 9.4% of affiliates, giving an overall turnout of 16.1%

Jo Stevens, the shadow Welsh secretary, said it was the start of a new era for Labour in Wales and the focus would turn to the general election. She said this was a “once in a generation” opportunity to have a Labour government at both ends of the M4.

There was a standing ovation for Mark Drakeford, who said: “He [Gething] will provide the next generation of leadership for the party and I look forward to campaigning with him to deliver the UK Labour government Wales so desperately needs.”

• Welsh politics
• Labour
• Wales
• Devolution