Chris Minns has confirmed he will run for the NSW Labor leadership following Jodi McKay’s resignation last week.

Mr Minns thanked Ms McKay on Monday, before saying: “I want to be Labor leader, I believe it’s time for change.

“I believe it’s time for Labor to be the party of the future. I believe that it’s time for Labor to start the long march to regain the trust of the people of this state.

“I’m a little concerned our focus is too much on ourselves.”

Mr Minns quit the shadow ministry last week after a dirt file was circulated by the deputy Labor leader’s office about him.

On Monday, Mr Minns sold himself as an antithesis to “negative politics” and said drastic change was needed for the party or it could become irrelevant.

“I think it’s time for us to turn the page and turn to a new generation of Labor leadership. I think we need fresh ideas and a different approach to politics.,” he said.

“We’re in our 10th year of opposition and something has to change and I think that change is generational.”

The prospective leader admitted NSW Premier Gladys Berejkilian had done an admirable job in managing the pandemic response.

As opposition leader, Mr Minns said he would support the government through the remainder of the COVID-19 crisis but would stand against Ms Berejiklian on issues such as cost of living.

He said while he won’t ignore social justice issues, he wanted to put a “central focus” and re-orientate NSW Labor onto economic mobility.

He said he was confident he had the numbers to win a leadership contest.

On Sunday, former NSW Labor leader Michael Daley announced he would run for the leadership again after his election loss in 2019.

Although he said Ms McKay should never have had to resign, Mr Daley said he was ready to run again.

“I learnt from my mistakes the hard way and I’ve thought about them more than you could imagine.

“Some of the things that I said and did in that campaign, I can guarantee you will never happen again.”