Vaughan Gething has resigned as the first minister of Wales, just hours after four of his cabinet ministers quit his government.
This marks a significant turning point in Welsh politics, with implications that will likely reverberate for some time.
The four ministers — Mick Antoniw, Julie James, Lesley Griffiths, and Jeremy Miles — delivered a blunt ultimatum to Mr. Gething, stating they could not continue their roles “without you standing down.”
This collective resignation underscores a deep-seated dissatisfaction within the Welsh government, culminating in Gething’s decision to step down.
In his resignation statement, Mr. Gething acknowledged the insurmountable challenges to “rebuilding and renewal” under his leadership.
“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,” he said.
“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 recognize now that this is not possible.”
Vaughan Gething
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed gratitude for Gething’s service, emphasizing that his resignation was driven by a genuine concern for Wales.
“Vaughan should take enormous pride in being the first Black leader of any country in Europe,” Starmer stated.
“That achievement will have broadened the ambitions and raised the gaze of a generation of young people in Wales and beyond. It has been the honor of my life to do this job even for a few short months … I have always pursued my political career to serve Wales.”
Keir Starmer
The resignations of the four ministers were made public on social media, each posting separate letters that collectively called for Mr. Gething’s departure.
Jeremy Miles, who had previously contended against Gething for the Welsh Labour leadership, was particularly candid in his letter. “We cannot continue like this,” he wrote.
“The events of the last few months, including your loss of the confidence vote in the Senedd, have been incredibly painful. 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 the job we are elected to do, without you standing down.”
Jeremy Miles
Leadership Plagued by Controversies and Setbacks
This crisis is the latest in a series of challenges that have plagued Gething’s short tenure as leader.
He recently lost a non-binding no-confidence vote by a narrow margin, an event marked by his visible distress in the Senedd chamber.
Gething has also faced criticism over donations received during his leadership campaign and the dismissal of former minister Hannah Blythyn over an alleged government leak.
The situation was further complicated when the publication that received the leaked information publicly stated that Blythyn was not the source.
Despite these setbacks, Gething initially vowed to persevere, dismissing the no-confidence motion as “a transparent gimmick.”
However, the motion’s result — 29 votes to 27 against him — was a significant embarrassment for Labour, especially since they had enough votes to win, but two members were reportedly unwell and unable to vote.
Gething’s leadership was also marred by the collapse of his electoral deal with Plaid Cymru and controversies surrounding his handling of communications during the COVID-19 crisis.
A report on the Nation Cymru news website revealed a message from Gething to a ministerial group chat in August 2020, during which he stated he was deleting the messages in the group.
In his defense, Gething has maintained that he followed all rules regarding donations and denied that the leaked message contradicted his testimony to the official COVID inquiry.
Nevertheless, these controversies have contributed to a turbulent period for Welsh Labour, culminating in Gething’s resignation.
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