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Four ministers quit Gething government

16 Jul 2024 7 minute read
First Minister of Wales Vaughan Gething gives a speech during King Charles III and Queen Camilla visit to the Senedd in Cardiff, to mark its 25th anniversary. Photo Ben Birchall/PA Wire

Emily Price

Four Ministers of Vaughan Gething’s government have quit their posts and called on the First Minister to resign.

Counsel General Mick Antoniw, Cabinet Secretary for Economy Jeremy Miles, Cabinet Secretary for Housing Julie James and Cabinet Secretary for Culture Lesley Griffiths posting separate letters on social media on Tuesday morning (July 16) in which they called for Mr Gething to go.

With the Senedd set to break for summer recess next week concerns were raised about how the embattled First Minister would continue to govern with opposition parties unlikely to support his budget.

Mick Antoniw, the Welsh Government’s chief legal advisor, urged Mr Gething to “put the country first and resign” saying the Senedd was “rudderless” without a new leader.

In a letter to the FM, he 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.”

Responding to the news, Labour backbencher Alun Davies said: “This is very sad to read. Mick has worked hard over a number of years to drive forward a reforming agenda. All ministers leaving government today will find some significant support from Labour backbenchers.”

‘Division’

Lesley Griffiths also said she would resign “with a very heavy heart”.

She wrote in a resignation letter to Vaughan Gething: “Yesterday we discussed my concerns about the circumstances surrounding certain campaign donations you received; the outcome of the vote of no confidence; and the sacking of a ministerial colleague for leaking when no formal leak inquiry had taken place.

“In addition, I find it deeply distressing, from both personal and professional perspectives, to see the negative impact all of this has had on relationships between longstanding colleagues and, in many cases, close friends.

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

She added: “I have reached the conclusion that we simply will not be able to put things back on track under your leadership, leaving me with only one realistic option at this point.”

‘Pain’

Julie James told First Minister Vaughan Gething the fate of Welsh devolution would be at risk if he continued.

In her letter resigning as housing secretary, she said: “This cannot be what you wanted and must have caused you and your family a lot of pain and I think has visibly caused huge divisions in the group and damaged both the country and the party.

“I think it also now threatens the continued existence of the devolution journey itself.

“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.”

‘Damage’

An ITV interview yesterday appeared to show cracks in support for Mr Gething after Cabinet Secretary for Economy Jeremy Miles refused to publicly back him.

In a letter quitting as Welsh economy secretary, Jeremy Miles told First Minister Vaughan Gething: “We cannot continue like this.”

Mr Miles, who ran against Mr Gething for the Welsh Labour leadership, 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”.

He told Mr Gething: “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.”

Attack

The First Minister has come under sustained attack in recent months for his decision to sack junior minister Hannah Blythyn and over a series of rows concerning a huge donation he took from a convicted polluter while running to be Welsh Labour leader.

The Minister for Social Partnership was kicked out of the First Minister’s cabinet after he accused her of being the source of leaked messages to Nation.Cymru.

The iMessages showed the then Health Minister had told a ministerial group chat that he was deleting Covid era exchanges.

Mr Gething claims the messages did not relate to pandemic decision-making but “comments that colleagues make to and about each other”.

Ms Blythyn maintained her innocence in the Senedd last week, telling politicians that she has never briefed the media about any of her Labour colleagues.

She had been absent from the Chamber for several weeks after being signed off sick with acute anxiety as a result of the fallout from her dismissal.

Nation.Cymru took the unprecedented move of confirming she was not the source of the leaked messages.

‘Culpable’

The Welsh Conservatives have tabled a motion for Wednesday (July 17) which could compel the First Minister to reveal the evidence he used to guide his decision to dismiss Ms Blythyn.

Following the flurry of resignations this morning, opposition party leaders made fresh calls for Mr Gething to step down.

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.”

Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorweth 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 judgement, 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.”

Welsh Liberal Democrat’s Jane Dodds MS said: “Vaughan Gething has now lost both the confidence of the Senedd and several members of his own Government; he must resign from his position as First Minister.

“We cannot afford to allow internal fighting in Welsh labour to distract us any longer from the range of serious issues facing our country.

“The Welsh people are sick and tired of constant political scandals and broken promises, they want to see a political system that works for them. We as the Welsh Liberal Democrats will deliver that change.”

The Welsh Government was contacted for comment.

More to follow…


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Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
5 months ago

Good…

Gary H
Gary H
5 months ago

This surely must be the end for Gething.

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
5 months ago

Please encourage the Baroness to do the same for the sake of the people of Cymru…

hdavies15
hdavies15
5 months ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

seeing the list of today’s departures, so far, reinforces the point that his “team” is a pretty shallow bunch anyway. People who have made a career out of politics without putting an awful lot back into real productive public service.

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
5 months ago
Reply to  hdavies15

Blimey! just catching up…

Twitter Cowards…

General Election…

what else is there?

Yuri Nator
Yuri Nator
5 months ago
Reply to  hdavies15

The Member for the Vale of Glamorgan and current Chief Whip being a prime example. I’ve long seen through her act.

Welsh Patriot
Welsh Patriot
5 months ago

The wheels on the Labour Car are falling off, and its only doing 20mph 🙂

hdavies15
hdavies15
5 months ago
Reply to  Welsh Patriot

Not even that much. It has always crawled along producing very little other than noise. Now we know that noise is possibly the sump dragging along some of the badly maintained roads !

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
5 months ago
Reply to  hdavies15

To use further a road metaphor. Under Labour rule Wales has been stuck in the slow lane on a road to nowhere.

Keith Parry
Keith Parry
5 months ago

A Coup de Etete is taking place now in the Senedd.

hdavies15
hdavies15
5 months ago
Reply to  Keith Parry

Best day’s work they’ve done in their lifetimes. Speaks volumes about the standards of Senedd politicians, even those not in the Labour Party!

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
5 months ago

Like dominoes they fall. First Minister Vaughan Gething has been living on borrowed time. He could have in the beginning simply admitted he made an error of judgment, returned the £200k, but he didn’t. He arrogantly dug his heels in, defended the indefensible, accused his critics of having a racist agenda, and after he lost his no confidence vote cynically used the general election to deflect attention away. I can forsee two options. Either he stands down and it’s highly likely Jeremy Miles will be installed as First Minister or Vaughan Gething brings forward by two years and calls an… Read more »

Last edited 5 months ago by Y Cymro
Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
5 months ago

A coup in a rat infested hen coop, a rat and hen party…someone throw in the towel…

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
5 months ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

Politics moves in mysterious ways, reading Mick’s Bio…a group centered around Thompson’s, County Council, Cardiff Law School, Refugee Council, a career 50 years in the making…all these players have been there for two generations…one form of kinder transport or another…such a closed shop !

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
5 months ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

So Jo Stevens MP for Cardiff East is another Thompson Twin…

This is not right !

Welsh Patriot
Welsh Patriot
5 months ago

Some of the minister who have just resigned are as responsible as Vaughan Gething himself.
The only real answer is for fresh Senedd election ASAP

Jeff
Jeff
5 months ago

2 years to fix this. Start now, repair yourselves before you get torn a new one. Or Reform in with a shout (and the Cons) 2026.

Also remind ARTD who has supported his party to topple him off his elevated nag. You know, Hester etc. (He is bound to be “ner ner ner on twitter/bookface etc.)

Why vote
Why vote
5 months ago

No no no keep him in charge at least until the next senedd election be that next month or 2026, maybe then we can get some people with integrity in charge who will speak on behalf of the Welsh electorate not the labour party and remind them that we put them in their positions with our votes.

SundanceKid
SundanceKid
5 months ago

They are all just worried about their seats. I will not forget the enthusiastic table banging after the first vote of no confidence.

Crom
Crom
5 months ago

A week ago these people voted that they had every confidence in him. What’s changed, except them worrying about their own gold plated and protected futures?

Erisian
Erisian
5 months ago

Mae’n hen bryd, gwynt teg ar ei ôl.
Dyn ni i gyd anadlu eto.

Last edited 5 months ago by Erisian
Yuri Nator
Yuri Nator
5 months ago

The last few weeks have shown a number of people who should be nowhere near political office. I include several Cardiff councillors in that, who were amongst the ringleaders accusing Nation Cymru’s journalists of racism due to the coverage of this mess of Gething’s own making. They and Gething need to go.

Billy James
Billy James
5 months ago

He only has himself to blame as well……

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