Vaughan Gething’s leadership in peril as four Welsh ministers resign

Four ministers have resigned from the Welsh government in a potentially fatal blow for the first minister Vaughan Gething’s premiership.

Mick Antoniw, Julie James, Lesley Griffiths and Jeremy Miles all stepped down from their roles, urging Gething to leave office after a turbulent time for the Welsh Labour leader.

In June Gething refused to resign despite losing a vote of confidence. The Senedd vote was called by the Conservatives over donations made to Gething’s leadership campaign by a company owned by a man previously convicted of environmental offences.

The first minister has also come under pressure over the sacking of Hannah Blythyn from her role as the minister for social partnership, alleging that she was the leak of text messages that appeared to show he had advocated deleting messages that could be revealed under the freedom of information act.

Gething faces another potentially damaging vote in the Senedd on Wednesday after the Conservatives tabled a motion to try to compel him to publish the evidence he used to sack Blythyn.

Miles, the economy secretary, Antoniw, the counsel general, Griffiths, the culture and social justice secretary, and James, the housing and local government secretary, released letters of resignation on Tuesday.

Miles, who ran against Gething for the Welsh Labour leadership, told the first minister: “We cannot continue like this.”

He added: “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.”

In his letter, Antoniw said: “Wales needs confident and stable government. I do not believe you are capable of delivering that.

“You have lost a vote of confidence in the Senedd. That is something I regard as being of major constitutional importance.

“It is clear that you no longer command a majority, that you will be unable to enter into the agreements necessary to pass a budget, and for all intents and purposes the Senedd is rudderless.”

Griffiths said she was resigning “with a very heavy heart”.

“Relationships have fractured and will require goodwill and strong leadership to repair,” she wrote. “These unfortunate and deeply saddening events have together impacted significantly on our ability to continue to deliver for the people of Wales.”

James said the fate of Welsh devolution would be at risk if Gething continued.

She said: “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.”

Welsh opposition parties seized on the resignations to pile further pressure on Gething.

The 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.”

Rhun ap Iorwerth, the Plaid Cymru leader, said: “Vaughan Gething has led a government of chaos and put his own self-interest before the interests of the people of Wales.

“For months, the first minister’s poor judgment, aversion to scrutiny and ‘do nothing’ approach to governing has undermined the office of first minister and brought Welsh politics into disrepute.

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