Welsh First Minister ‘confident’ ahead of no-confidence vote

The First Minister of Wales has insisted he is feeling “confident” about winning the vote of no confidence he faces in the Senedd on Wednesday.

Welsh Conservatives tabled a motion of no confidence in Vaughan Gething, the leader of the Welsh government, following the collapse of the co-operation deal between Labour and Plaid Cymru and a series of rows involving the FM.

Speaking during First Minister’s Questions on Tuesday, Mr Gething said he was “confident” about winning the vote.

Concerns were raised after Mr Gething accepted a donation from a man convicted of environmental offences during his run to be Welsh Labour leader.

Mr Gething has also refused to show any evidence to explain why he sacked Senedd member Hannah Blythyn from his government, after he accused her of leaking messages to the media.

The Welsh FM has always insisted he broke no rules.

Speaking during FMQs, Andrew RT Davies, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: “There’s a vote of confidence in you tomorrow here, First Minister. Are you going to win?”

Mr Gething said he understood why the Conservatives had put forward the motion, calling it “a non-binding vote, but a vote, nevertheless”, which was met with shouts of “arrogance” from the opposition benches.

He added: “I am confident about tomorrow. I look forward to the debate, which I will attend.

“I could and should, in my view, have been elsewhere, but I will be in this Parliament to respond to the debate.”

Mr Gething was due to attend a D-day event on Wednesday, which he has now cancelled.

Rhun ap Iorwerth, leader of Plaid Cymru, said the vote might be non-binding, but should be taken seriously, arguing the people of Wales have lost confidence in the First Minister.

Mr ap Iorwerth said there was “genuine anger” among the public, and asked why Mr Gething had rejected an offer from a senior figure within the Labour Party to loan him the money to pay it back.

Mr Gething said he does not “have £200,000 to repay anybody back” and insisted all rules were followed when he took the donation.

He also said no-confidence votes were not uncommon and “part and parcel” of being a minister, with three having taken place in this Senedd term.

More than half of the public think Mr Gething is “doing badly” as Welsh First Minister, the latest polling suggests.

Some 57% of people think the 50-year-old Labour politician is doing a bad job at leading Wales, according to a YouGov poll of 1,066 Welsh voters for ITV Cymru Wales and Cardiff University.

Just 15% said he was doing well, and the rest – 28% – said they did not know.

All opposition groups, including Jane Dodds, the Senedd’s only Liberal Democrat member, have indicated they will vote against Mr Gething.

Ahead of tomorrow’s vote of no confidence, Mr ap Iorwerth said: “In accepting a £200k donation from a convicted polluter, the First Minister has undermined his own office and the confidence of the people of Wales in his ability to govern.

“At a time when trust in politics is low, any perception of outside influence in the Labour Welsh government’s decision making is eroding public confidence.

“The First Minister’s unwillingness to admit to his significant error of judgment signifies a worryingly care-free attitude.

“Even when a Labour colleague reportedly offered to help him repay the toxic donation, he declined the offer, further proof that he doesn’t understand the anger felt by the people of Wales.

“It is for the Labour Party and ultimately Keir Starmer to decide the fate of the First Minister. Whether some of their members hold their noses or reaffirm their unhappiness at the scale and source of the donation through supporting a vote of no confidence is a matter for them.”