Vaughan Gething blasts ‘politically motivated’ assaults as he quits
- In a statement this morning Mr Gething, 50, said he will ‘begin the process of stepping down as … First Minister’
Vaughan Gething claimed he had been the victim of ‘politically motivated and patently untrue’ claims of wrongdoing today as he quit as First Minister of Wales.
The Welsh Labour leader, who has been in power only since the spring, denied ever compromising his integrity after being forced from office by a revolt by senior members of his own cabinet.
Mick Antoniw, Julie James, Lesley Griffiths and Jeremy Miles stunned Wales and UK politics by announced they were resigning from the government in Cardiff in a co-ordinated move against him this morning.
Mr Gething, 50, was left with no option but to set out a timetable to step down less than an hour later, after four months in charge.
His short term in office has been dogged by scandals over a £200,000 donation from a convicted eco-criminal – which caused the collapse of a power-sharing coalition – claims he deleted Covid-era WhatsApp messages and the firing of a minister he accused of leaking them to the media.
However in a statement to the Senedd this afternoon he launched into a bitter defence of his record.
‘This has been the most difficult time, for me, and my family. A growing assertion that some kind of wrongdoing has taken place has been pernicious, politically motivated and patently untrue,’ he said.
‘I have never ever made a decision for personal gain. I have never ever misused or abused my ministerial responsibilities. My integrity matters. I have not compromised it.’
The Zambia-born politician, the first black national leader in Europe, also added: ‘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. There will – and there must be – a government that looks like the country it serves.’
The Welsh Labour leader, who has been in power only since the spring, denied ever compromising his integrity after being forced from office by a revolt by senior members of his own cabinet.
Mr Gething, 50, only took up the role in March and was prominently visited by PM Keir Starmer and deputy PM Angela Rayner in the election campaign.
In a statement this morning Mr Gething, 50, said he will ‘begin the process of stepping down as leader of the Welsh Labour Party and, as a result, First Minister’.
Mr Gething, 50, only took up the role in March and was prominently visited by PM Keir Starmer and deputy PM Angela Rayner in the election campaign, when Labour won 27 of the 32 seats in Wales.
His decision to quit also comes as the new Westminster Labour government launches plans to devolve more power to the UK nations and English regions.
The FM has been under huge pressure for the whole of his short tenure over a £200,000 donation he received for his leadership campaign from a businessman convicted of an environmental crime for dumping waste on a conservation site.
Mr Gething has also refused to show any evidence to justify sacking Labour Senedd member Hannah Blythyn from his government, after he accused her of leaking messages to the media. This led to the collapse of a co-operation agreement between his party and Plaid Cymru.
Last month he lost a confidence vote in his leadership but refused to step down as First Minister. He becomes the second FM to quit this year, after Humza Yousaf was forced out in Scotland.
Sir Keir Starmer thanked Mr Gething for his service and said he had decided to resign as Welsh First Minister because he ‘feels it is the best decision now for Wales’.
But Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies said the decison was ‘long overdue’, adding: ‘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.’
Mr Davies later said Mr Gething had declined to shake his hand earlier on Tuesday when he expressed his condolences.
When pressing Mr Gething, Mr Davies said: ‘Was it the acceptance of the £200,000 donation to your leadership campaign, or was it your appointment of your leadership contender and his leadership team to your cabinet that ultimately cost you the role of First Minister?’
And Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth called for a snap Senedd election, saying: ‘The people of Wales have lost faith in the First Minister, belatedly he has done that right thing and resigned.
‘But the people of Wales are losing confidence in Labour’s ability to govern Wales.
‘This could be the third Labour First Minister in seven months – a revolving door of chaos.’
Mr Gething had earlier said he recognised that ‘rebuilding and renewal’ was ‘not possible’ under his leadership.
In a statement announcing his resignation, he said: ‘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.
‘It has been the honour of my life to do this job even for a few short months.
‘To see the dedication to public service from our civil service, and the dedication to civility from the Welsh public.
‘To see the election of a new government in Westminster, and the fresh hope that brings to Wales.
‘I have always pursued my political career to serve Wales.’
Earlier Mr Miles had called on the First Minister to resign, in a letter quitting as Welsh economy secretary, saying ‘the events of the last few months including your loss of the confidence vote in the Senedd, have been incredibly painful’.
Mr Miles, who ran against Mr Gething for the leadership, wrote: ‘We cannot continue like this.
‘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.’
Mr Antoniw told the leader ‘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.
Mr 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.
‘We are all here to do the best for our country. I believe it is now necessary for you to choose to put the country first and resign as First Minister to allow an election for a new First Minister and leader of Welsh Labour.’
In a letter quitting as Welsh economy secretary, Mr Miles, who ran against Mr Gething for the leadership, wrote: ‘We cannot continue like this.’
He called on the First Minister to resign and said ‘the events of the last few months including your loss of the confidence vote in the Senedd, have been incredibly painful’.
Mr Antoniw told the leader ‘I do not believe you can continue as First Minister’ as he quit as the Welsh Government’s counsel general.
At the start of June Mr Gething broke down in tears as he lost the no-confidence vote in the Senedd.
The no confidence motion was passed by 29 to 27, with two of Mr Gething’s assembly members seemingly off sick.
He had already appeared with Sir Keir and Ms Rayner as they launched Labour’s general election campaign in Wales. And he was front and centre with the PM as he toured the UK after his win on July 4.
Mr Gething has been involved in a series of rows since he replaced Mark Drakeford as Welsh Labour leader in March.
This includes controversy over donations from businessman David Neal, a convicted polluter who dumped waste on a conservation site.
There were also claims Mr Gething may have deleted messages that could be of interest to the Covid Inquiry.
Social partnership minister Hannah Blythyn was removed from the Welsh Government in May, after messages from the Covid pandemic were leaked to the website Nation.Cymru.
Mr Gething has been involved in a series of rows since he replaced Mark Drakeford as Welsh Labour leader in March. This includes controversy over donations from businessman David Neal (pictured), a convicted polluter who dumped waste on a conservation site.
Mr Gething said he had ‘no alternative’ but to fire Hannah Blythyn, Minister for Social Partnership, accusing her of leaks to the media following a ‘recent disclosure of communication’.
They featured a message posted to a ministerial group chat in August 2020 by Mr Gething, saying that he was ‘deleting the messages in this group’.
He previously told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry that lost WhatsApp messages were not deleted by him, but by the Welsh Parliament’s IT team during a security rebuild.
Last week at the Senedd’s Scrutiny Committee the FM defended his decision, insisting that evidence showed messages given to Nation.Cymru came from her phone.
However, he insisted he has never tried to claim Ms Blythyn directly contacted the media herself.
Delyn MS Ms Blythyn had previously said she could ‘look all my colleagues who sit on these benches in the eye’ and say she had not leaked to the media.
And on Thursday, Nation.Cymru came out and insisted Ms Blythyn was not the source of the leak which triggered her sacking.
