Gething’s position in the balance as ministers quit Welsh Government

Vaughan Gething’s position as First Minister of Wales is increasingly precarious after four members of his Government quit in protest at his leadership.

The resigning ministers – including his former leadership rival Jeremy Miles – said Mr Gething had to go to restore confidence in the Welsh Government after a series of scandals.

Mr Gething lost a vote of no confidence in the Senedd following rows over his decision to sack former minister Hannah Blythyn and a furore about donations he took while running to be Welsh Labour leader, while Labour’s co-operation deal in the Senedd with Plaid Cymru has collapsed.

Mr Miles, Mick Antoniw, Julie James and Lesley Griffiths posted their resignation letters online in an open show of opposition to Mr Gething’s continued leadership.

Mr Miles, who quit as economy secretary, told Mr Gething: “The events of the last few months including your loss of the confidence vote in the Senedd, have been incredibly painful.

“It’s essential that we begin to repair the damage immediately, and I have reached the conclusion very regrettably that this cannot happen under your leadership.

“I can’t see any way forward for us which allows us to get on with job we are elected to do, without you standing down.”

Ms James told the First Minister she feared that Welsh devolution would be at risk if he continued in the role.

In her letter resigning as housing secretary, she said: “This cannot be what you wanted and must have caused you and your family a lot of pain and I think has visibly caused huge divisions in the group and damaged both the country and the party.

“I think it also now threatens the continued existence of the devolution journey itself.

“We must begin to repair this damage immediately and I am extremely sorry to tell you that I do not think you are capable of being the leader who can lead us through that.”

Ms Griffiths, who resigned as culture secretary, said: “I have reached the conclusion that we simply will not be able to put things back on track under your leadership, leaving me with only one realistic option at this point.”

Mick Antoniw told Mr Gething: “I do not believe you can continue as First Minister” as he quit as the Welsh Government’s counsel general.

Urging the First Minister to “put the country first” he said the Senedd was “rudderless” without a new leader.

The Welsh Government and Welsh Labour Party have been contacted for comment.

Mr Gething made history in March when he became the first black leader of any European country, succeeding Mark Drakeford as the First Minster of Wales.

He previously ran for the Labour leadership and first minister position in 2018, when he lost to Mr Drakeford.

The embattled Welsh Labour leader will have to face the Senedd on Tuesday afternoon for First Minister’s Questions.

He also faces a crunch vote on Wednesday on a motion tabled by the Tories which could compel him to publish the evidence he used to sack Ms Blythyn.

Mr Gething sacked the former social partnership minister over the leak of messages relating to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He has insisted that leaked messages to the media came from former social partnership minister Hannah Blythyn’s phone but said he has “never tried to claim” she was the direct source for the Nation.Cymru story.

The news website has denied that she was the source of the leaked messages which showed Mr Gething claiming he would delete all correspondence from an iMessage group of Welsh ministers.

Opposition parties in Wales seized on the crisis within the Labour administration to demand Mr Gething’s resignation.

Welsh Conservatives leader Andrew RT Davies said: “Vaughan Gething’s time as First Minister is rightly coming to an end.

“But Labour cannot fool the people of Wales. These ministers, like Jeremy Miles, sat in his Cabinet, they stood by his side, and they are culpable for the breakdown of governance in Wales.

“Wales will remember.”

Plaid Cymru’s leader Rhun ap Iorwerth accused Mr Gething of having led a “government of chaos” and of putting self-interest ahead of the people of Wales.

He said: “Seldom have heads of government in a democracy disregarded the will of its legislature by carrying on despite losing a vote of confidence.

“The Labour Party has thrown its weight behind Vaughan Gething and Keir Starmer has acted as his main cheerleader.

“The ministers who resigned today are equally culpable, they should have acted far sooner than their eleventh-hour intervention when it was a case of one bad headline too many.”