Labour is facing weeks of political deadlock in Wales after Vaughan Gething quit as first minister after a turbulent four months of infighting and scandal, with a replacement not expected until the autumn.
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.
He refused to quit when he lost a vote of confidence in the Senedd in June, but was finally forced out on Tuesday after four ministers resigned from his government.
In a letter, Jeremy Miles, the economy secretary, who lost narrowly to Gething in the race to succeed Drakeford, urged the first minister to step down for the sake of the party and for Welsh devolution, saying: “We cannot continue like this.”
Gething, who became the first black leader of a European country when he took on the role, hit out at critics he said had made claims against him that were “pernicious, politically motivated and patently untrue”.
“In 11 years as a minister, I have never ever made a decision for personal gain,” he said. “I have never ever misused or abused my ministerial responsibilities. My integrity matters. I have not compromised it. I regret that the burden of proof is no longer an important commodity in the language of our politics. I do hope that can change.”
Related: First black leader of any European country: Vaughan Gething’s political career
The party will now be seeking its third leader this year. While some Welsh Labour figures hope a unity candidate could emerge, Gething’s bitter reaction at being forced out could herald a difficult battle to come.
The formal timetable for the succession race has still to be agreed by the Welsh party’s executive, with Gething saying he hoped his replacement would be in place for the autumn. He will stay on as first minister and Welsh Labour leader in the interim.
The ministers who resigned – including Julie James, the housing and local government secretary, Lesley Griffiths, the culture and social justice secretary, and the counsel general Mick Antoniw – said Gething could not provide stable government after Plaid Cymru ended its cooperation agreement with him in May.
The move by Plaid, which left Gething’s government without a majority (Labour hold 30 of the 60 Senedd seats) followed the first minister’s refusal to hand back a £200,000 donation for his leadership campaign from a company whose owner was convicted of environmental crimes .
Plaid also expressed worries about the way Gething had sacked one of his ministers, Hannah Blythyn, after alleging she was behind a leak that seemed to show he had advocated deleting Covid-related messages, which she vehemently denied.
In a statement to the Senedd on Tuesday, Gething vigorously defended his record. Asked by the Welsh Conservative leader, Andrew RT Davies, if he believed Labour could continue to deliver its mandate, he replied: “Of course.”
He added: “I am proud of my record and all the things I have done before coming here and since coming here in 11 years of being a minister. I am sad that today sees the start of that process coming to an end, but I remain full of optimism what this place could do, and about what Welsh Labour leadership can provide to my country and all the people who are proud to call Wales their home.”
Gething’s anger at being forced out – Davies told the chamber that Gething had refused to shake his hand – will add to the bad blood within a party which has been in power in Wales for nearly 23 years. Drakeford served as first minister for five years, before stepping down voluntarily aged 71, a year after the death of his wife.
There will be considerable pressure from the national Labour party to select a new leader swiftly and harmoniously, with some insiders hoping a unity candidate can be found.
While the rules for the succession contest have not yet been confirmed, they are expected to be the same as when Gething defeated Miles. This would require contenders to be nominated by at least six Labour Senedd members, 20% of the total, or 10% plus a certain number of constituency parties or unions.
Those successfully nominated are then put to Welsh Labour members for a vote.
Opposition parties sought to make the most of the confusion, with Plaid Cymru calling for a snap Senedd election. Rhun ap Iorwerth, the Plaid leader, 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.”
Davies said the Conservatives did not support a snap election given a poll is due in May 2026, but sought to tie the controversy to Keir Starmer, under whose leadership Labour took 27 of the 32 Welsh seats in this month’s Westminster elections.
“Vaughan Gething’s resignation is long overdue,” Davies said. “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.”
In a brief statement, Starmer said Gething should “take enormous pride in being the first black leader of any country in Europe”, but said he accepted the first minister’s decision that it was best for Wales he stepped down.
Drakeford said he believed his successor’s decision had been the correct one. “I think the first minister has said everything that needs to be said today,” he told Sky News. “It’s a very sad day, of course, for him personally, but I believe he has done the right thing for his party and his country.”
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