Gething video mocked for promising ‘change will only happen if you vote for it’
Emily Price
First Minister Vaughan Gething has been accused of hypocrisy following a Labour campaign video in which he declared “change will only happen if you vote for it”.
The promotional video showing the party’s bright red bus making it’s way around battle ground seats in south Wales was posted to Welsh Labour’s X account on Monday (July 1).
Change will only happen if you vote for it. pic.twitter.com/Oy7XY5p97J
— Welsh Labour (@WelshLabour) July 1, 2024
During the clip, the Welsh Labour Leader said: “I believe our country could and should be better with two Labour governments working together for Wales and Britain.
“Nobody should be complacent about it. We will only get change if you vote for it.”
He repeated the same line during First Minister’s Questions in the Senedd on Tuesday (July 2).
It comes just weeks after the embattled First Minister lost a vote of no confidence after becoming embroiled in several scandals.
The Welsh Conservatives, Plaid Cymru and Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds all expressed no confidence in the FM’s leadership on June 5 whilst two Labour Senedd Members failed to take part in the vote at all.
The motion was non-binding because it was tabled in opposition time and did not force the defiant First Minister to stand aside.
He has since faced a backlash for disregarding the result.
Opposition politicians and social media users criticised the Welsh Labour video branding it hypocritical.
Sharing the video on X, Plaid Cymru’s Llyr Gruffydd added the caption: “All votes applicable except votes of no confidence.”
Speaking to Nation.Cymru he said: “The First Minister has a less than impressive track record on respecting the outcome of votes. The sense of irony is clearly lost on him but it won’t be lost on the people of Wales.
“You can’t spout vacuous slogans on twitter when you disrespect a democratic vote in our national parliament. Having justified his longevity by pointing to favourable personal poll ratings, that was a month ago. Look at them now.”
*all votes applicable except votes of no confidence https://t.co/GkGwvvYSNJ
— Llyr Gruffydd AS/MS (@LlyrGruffydd) July 1, 2024
Secretary of State for Wales, David TC Davies also mocked the First Minister for the video.
He said: “If you’re looking for a definition of hypocrisy look no further than First Minister Vaughan Gething.
“He keeps bleating about the need for change – but when the Senedd voted for a change in leadership he ignored it. A vote for Labour is a vote for the status quo of 25 years of failure in Cardiff Bay.”
The vote of no confidence came after Mr Gething’s short tenure was overshadowed by a row over donations to his leadership campaign from a convicted polluter.
Businessman David Neal previously received two suspended prison sentences for dumping toxic sludge in the Gwent Levels – a sensitive wetlands area.
Mr Gething says the donation was “within the rules” but appointed former First Minister Carwyn Jones to lead an interval review of Welsh Labour processes.
Undercover journalists working for Channel 4 later revealed that another of Mr Neal’s firms is facing a tax probe for allegedly wrongly characterising the kind of waste being dumped at a Pembrokeshire landfill site.
The former Health Minister’s tenure has also been plagued by revelations of previously unseen messages deleted from a ministerial group chat during the pandemic.
Mr Gething has 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.”
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.
The resulting fall-out from the scandals saw the collapse of the co-operation deal between Labour and Plaid Cymru.
Nation.Cymru has never revealed how we obtained the messages.
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Well not really Vaughan: you were subject to a no-confidence vote yet you’re still there. Why, after you racking up more scandals in two months than Boris Johnson did in two years, am I still looking at your stupid boat race in the Senedd?
“Boat race” sounds like some sort of Southern English slang that would be used by a Jeremy Hunt?
This man has shown by example that my vote isn’t worth anything. He is a disgrace to his profession and to cap it all there is a debate to decide if politicians can lie! What has happened to our society? I am ashamed to have him as my leader.
Do we have to follow the decision of the vote on the 4th of July or just say no not following your rules going to make up my own as I see fit. Keep on digging Mr Gething and you will never be able to climb out of your hole.and they say politicians don’t talk nonsense. Clasic comedy.
Welsh labour have been in power for over 20 years, and Wales is worse off because of it. But the sheep keep voting for them because their parents and grandparents did,.. can you not see and think what Labour have done, wake up, they need to be removed they have become dictators and do as they please. This is the amount of OUR money Drakeford and his band of clowns have wasted so far.. Not forgetting the £6.6 million he’s just given to Cardiff Airport… now another 36 snouts in the trough.. they bought the airport valued at £15million for… Read more »
While Labour’s performance in government in Wales has definitely been suboptimal I think you’ll find that most of the reason for the failings is 14 years of Tory misrule and economic illiteracy leading to the underfunding of everything. To do a decent job any government needs to be decently resourced.
So Labour after obvious panic have swerved the thought of legislation on lying it is as if there is someone in their ranks they want to protect.
As for the video it shows the hypocrisy of Welsh Labour in all it’s ignominious actions.
Has Vaughan Gething not resigned yet?
I suppose he will quietly go a week or two into Sir Kier’s reign, when the new agenda has moved on.