Vaughan Gething resigns as first minister of Wales

Vaughan Gething has announced he is quitting as first minister of Wales following a brief and turbulent period in the job after his fate was sealed by the resignation of four of his ministers.

Gething has faced a series of controversies, including over donations and claims he sought to delete sensitive messages, since he took over from Mark Drakeford as first minister and the leader of Welsh Labour in March.

Responding to the news, Plaid Cymru called for a snap Senedd election, while the Welsh Conservatives said Keir Starmer was “culpable for the breakdown in governance in Wales” for having backed the first minister.

Starmer said Gething should “take enormous pride in being the first black leader of any country in Europe”, but that he accepted the first minister’s decision that it was best for Wales that he step down.

Gething lost a vote of confidence in the Senedd in June, but refused to quit. His hand was forced, however, after four ministers resigned from the Welsh government on Tuesday, all of them urging Gething to stand down, saying his position was untenable.

Among these was Jeremy Miles, the economy secretary, who narrowly lost to Gething in the race to succeed Drakeford. While he is likely to be one of the favourites to take over, Welsh Labour insiders said there might be a push to find an alternative unity candidate.

In a statement later on Tuesday, Gething wrote: “I have this morning taken the difficult decision to begin the process of stepping down as leader of the Welsh Labour party and, as a result, first minister.

“Having been elected as leader of my party in March, I had hoped that over the summer a period of reflection, rebuilding and renewal could take place under my leadership. I recognise now that this is not possible.”

After thanking those who supported him, Gething hit out at his critics. “A growing assertion that some kind of wrongdoing has taken place has been pernicious, politically motivated and patently untrue,” he said. “In 11 years as a minister, I have never ever made a decision for personal gain. I have never ever misused or abused my ministerial responsibilities.”

His statement also indicated that he felt he had been targeted in part because of his race, as he said: “To those in Wales who look like me, many of whom I know feel personally bruised and worried by this moment, I know that our country can be better. I know that cannot happen without us.”

Gething said he would set out a timetable for the election of new leader of the Welsh Labour party.

Drakeford had stepped down aged 71 after over five years in the role, a year after the death of his wife.

The confidence vote in June was called by the Conservatives over £200,000 of donations made to Gething’s leadership campaign by a company owned by a man previously convicted of environmental offences.

He has also come under pressure over the sacking of Hannah Blythyn from her role as the minister for social partnership, alleging she was the source of leaked text messages that appeared to show he had advocated deleting messages during the Covid pandemic..

Starmer thanked Gething for his ministerial service, saying he “will have broadened the ambitions and raised the gaze of a generation of young people in Wales and beyond”. He added: “I know what a difficult decision this has been for him – but I also know that he has made it because he feels it is the best decision now for Wales. I wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

In this month’s Westminster election, Labour took 27 of the 32 Welsh seats . In the 60-strong Senedd, the party holds 30 of the 60 places, with five more held by Labour and Co-operative members.

Rhun ap Iorwerth, the Plaid leader, called for immediate Senedd elections, which are not currently due till May 2026. “The people of Wales have lost faith in the first minister – belatedly he has done that right thing and resigned,” he said.

“Labour has put party interests ahead of the interests of the nation for too long. The people of Wales must be given the opportunity to elect a new government and an election must be called.”

Andrew RT Davies, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: “Vaughan Gething’s resignation is long overdue. But there can be no doubt that his Labour colleagues, from those who resigned today all the way up to Keir Starmer, have stood by his side, and are culpable for the breakdown in governance in Wales. Wales will remember.”