Gething reshuffles Cabinet after top team resignations
Vaughan Gething has reshuffled his top team the day after announcing his intention to resign as First Minister.
Four members of the Welsh cabinet quit on Tuesday morning, precipitating Mr Gething’s decision to stand down and making a reshuffle necessary for the Welsh Labour top team.
Julie James, cabinet secretary for housing and local government, Jeremy Miles, cabinet secretary for economy, energy and Welsh language, Lesley Griffiths, cabinet secretary for culture and social justice, and counsel general Mick Antoniw all left government on Tuesday.
On Wednesday evening, Mr Gething announced that Jayne Bryant, minister for mental health and early years, would replace Ms James, with minister for social partnership Sarah Murphy moving into Ms Bryant’s old brief.
Jack Sargeant, Senedd member for Alyn and Deeside, will join Mr Gething’s team as the new minister for social partnership.
Split
The responsibilities of the other departed cabinet secretaries will be split between those that remain.
Baroness Eluned Morgan, cabinet secretary for health and social care, will take on responsibility for the Welsh language, while the cabinet secretary for North Wales and transport, Ken Skates, will now also be responsible for the economy.
Chief whip and Trefnydd (house leader) Jane Hutt will also oversee culture and social justice.
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Gething filling the gaps who dared to stand up to him. Belittling the Welsh public and a ever stronger Welsh media.
I sense a stronger confidence in our nation.
So, both Welsh Government and the Labour Party are now in the summer doldrums.
Does this mean that there is any chance of a more democratic and open process for choosing the next Labour leader? Or is there going to be another stitch-up by the unions?
No LP reform means no legitimacy, and with no legitimacy, a low turn-out in 2026 looks very likely.
I placed my message her by accident
I’m surprised anyone would get involved, considering the priority should be a very prompt replacement First Minister, either a caretaker or with a clean election.
Looks like Gething the Gherkin has immersed himself in a pickle jar!
Your penultimate paragraph can’t be right. The counsel general can’t be the First Minister (or any other minister), so it can’t be Mr Gething that does that role.
I think he is taking on the responsibilities but not the office, at least that is how I read it. We are required to have a Counsel General, which has to be elected by the Senedd, so it can only be an interim measure. Not sure about the legality of this.
The role of the Counsel General is to give independent legal advice to the Welsh Government. Clearly the First Minister can’t do that.
Have all the newly appointed Ministers been required to sign NDA’s?
Dear me, clearly most AM’s are ok with the corruption surrounding Gething or they wouldn’t support him in this way. Roll on 2026 when, hopefully, the Labour party will cease to control the Senedd. Come on Plaid
So the despite the Honourable first minister resigning he’s still being a first minister. Surely there is a deputy who should take over if the First Minister was indesposed for a different reason. Perhaps they won’t decide on a new FM for a long time and we’ll all forget he’s resigned and he’ll carry on.
How sad to see Carl Sargeant’s son working for Vawn after his ill treatment of Hannah Blythyn.
Vaughan Gething doesn’t even have enough people willing to serve under him to fill all the vacant posts, says something about his leadership skills!