‘The gig is up’ – Tory MS launches scathing attack on Gething for ignoring no-confidence vote
Emily Price
A Tory MS has launched a scathing attack on First Minister Vaughan Gething for ignoring a Senedd vote of no- confidence earlier this month.
Mr Gething, who won the Welsh Labour leader election in March, faced the no-confidence motion on June 5 less than three months into his scandal ridden tenure.
During the debate, Mr Gething was seen crying whilst being comforted by members of his government.
The motion was non-binding because it took place during opposition time and embattled FM has since remained in post despite calls for him to stand down.
No confidence
During FMQs on Tuesday (June 18), Conservative MS for South Wales West, Tom Giffard asked the troubled Welsh Labour leader why he had chosen to remain in office when the Senedd has no confidence in him.
Mr Gething responded saying he “recognises and respects” the vote of the Senedd and “looks forward” to “working to regain the confidence of members across the Chamber”.
Mr Giffard hit back saying: “The gig is up – you lost a vote of no confidence in your leadership. You can’t just shake that off and pretend it’s not happening. It’s not business as usual.”
Democratic
Speaking directly to Mr Gething, Mr Giffard said: “There’s a General Election on the horizon and you know as well as I do that too many people in Wales don’t cast a ballot because they feel their vote doesn’t make a difference.
“What message do you think you’ve sent to the public when you say a democratic vote by the people that they elect doesn’t matter?”
The First Minister responded saying that he recognised the “circumstances” around the vote and that he “acted in accordance with the rules of this institution”.
He said: “I recognise the choices we need to make in moving forward to meet the questions and the priorities of the people of Wales. I set that out when I became First Minister less than three months ago.”
It comes following weeks of controversies surrounding Mr Gething over donations to his leadership campaign from a convicted polluter.
The First Minister maintains the donation was “within the rules” but appointed former First Minister Carwyn Jones to lead an interval review of Welsh Labour processes.
The former Health Minister’s tenure has also been plagued by revelations from Nation.Cymru of previously unseen messages deleted from a ministerial group chat during the pandemic.
Mr Gething refused to show any evidence to explain why he sacked junior minister Hannah Blythyn from his government after he accused her of leaking the messages to Nation.Cymru.
Ms Blythyn staunchly denied the claims saying, “integrity is all in politics and I retain mine.”
Nation.Cymru has never revealed how we obtained the messages.
Messages
The First Minister has always denied the leak contradicted evidence he gave to the UK Covid Inquiry, insisting it was not related to pandemic decision-making.
Both Ms Blythyn and former Deputy Minister Lee Waters failed to take part in the confidence vote earlier this month because they were off sick.
Several Welsh Labour figures claim the pair would have voted in favour of Mr Gething if they had taken part.
Following the General Election announcement, both Welsh and UK Labour have appeared to cast off the motion branding it “game playing” by Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Tories.
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I am not sure Vaughan Gething gets it?
When you lose a vote of confidence, you should do the honourable thing and go.
Please labour party Wales back him with everything you have keep him in power as leader keep him until 2026 and the senedd elections please please he’s a gift that just keeps giving.
Strangely enough, in this case the Senedd should follow the procedures of Westminster.
A vote of no confidence in Westminster is an automatic , no argument resigning issue.
Perhaps those in Welsh Labour whoso admiration for Westminster knows no bounds, might care to think about this.
Bu hey, who cares about democracy?
Leave him in place: he’s a perfect character of the Labour Party. His arrogance is almost as breathtaking as his utter incompetence.
Gething is toast. I wonder what he’ll do next?
Strange the Cons want their own alleged offenders to be formally investigated before any action is taken yet don’t extend the same due process to Mr Gething. Even Mr Johnson got the Sue Gray report before his confidence vote. Why is Mr Gething subject to different standards? 🤔
“The gig is up”, says Tory MS Tom Giffard. The Welsh Tories can talk. They are a dead party walking. It will be their turn in 2026 to face the rath of the Welsh electorate. Longsuffering Wales are now witness to two party leaders in PM Rishi Sunak and FM Vaughan Gething fight for their political lives akin to two bald men squabbling over a comb. One , Rishi Sunak, is in his deaththrows as Prime Minister, and the other, First Minister Vaughan Gething is hanging on with his teeth after his no confidence vote loss. Although I add, it’s… Read more »
Purely as a Devils Advocate. If you were Shadow Welsh Secretary would you want to hand anything over to this present Welsh Government?
If i was a betting Man which i am not he will be left alone until after the Election and then he will be forced out by Labour central in London
Gething:
No ability.
No integrity.
No moral judgement.
Just your average politician out for himself rather than the people he is supposed to serve and represent.
Ouch. A Tory, in other words.
Politics is completely broken when a First Minister gets away with not resigning after losing a no-confidence vote and Starmer jumps in to tell us he is doing a good job.