Lobbying campaign ‘underway’ to get Vaughan Gething a seat in the House of Lords
Martin Shipton
Labour sources have told Nation.Cymru that a lobbying campaign is underway with the aim of securing a peerage for former First Minister Vaughan Gething.
Several party insiders have suggested that Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens has been involved in lobbying on Mr Gething’s behalf, although a source close to her has categorically denied that is the case.
The pair worked together at Thompsons Solicitors in Cardiff before they became politicians.
Mr Gething resigned as Welsh Labour leader in July 2024, just four months after narrowly defeating Jeremy Miles in a leadership contest. Less than two weeks later he also quit as First Minister.
Scandals
He was forced out because of his involvement in a succession of damaging scandals.
He accepted donations to his Welsh Labour leadership campaign totalling £200k from a company owned by businessman David Neal, who had been given two suspended prison sentences for dumping toxic sludge in the protected wetlands landscape of the Gwent Levels.
He also told fellow ministers during the pandemic that he was deleting messages in a group chat because they would be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. A screenshot of his incriminating message was leaked to Nation.Cymru. Ministers and other Members of the Senedd had expressly been told not to delete messages.
Mr Gething later misled the UK Covid-19 Inquiry by saying in a sworn statement that messages had been deleted when his mobile phone was reconditioned by the Senedd’s IT department.
Liability
Eventually Labour came to see Mr Gething as more of a liability than an asset and he was leant on to resign. In September 2024 he announced that he would not be seeking re-election as an MS in next year’s Senedd election. This happened after his successor, Eluned Morgan, said there was no place for him in her Cabinet team.
Last month we reported how senior Labour figures were suggesting that Mr Gething may resign from the Senedd in the coming months, triggering a by-election at a difficult time for Welsh Labour.
One said: “It’s clearly not in Labour’s interest to have a by-election at a time when Reform UK is doing very well in the polls. While Cardiff South and Penarth is one of the least likely Labour seats in Wales to fall to Reform, nothing could be guaranteed, especially at a by-election. It’s a headache Eluned Morgan can do without.”
Rolls Royce
There have been suggestions that he may take a job with Rolls Royce, which has expressed an interest in opening an office in a business park linked to a plan for a new railway station called Cardiff Parkway to be built in the St Mellons district of the capital which Mr Gething has been supporting as the local MS.
There are also suggestions that he may relocate shortly to Ireland for family reasons.
We have additionally been told that while the case for Mr Gething getting a peerage has been argued at Westminster, there has been pushback from Downing Street. One source suggested that while a peerage was not on the cards, a knighthood was a possibility.
However, it was also pointed out that a mere knighthood would not provide Mr Gething with anywhere near the influence or potential earning power he could expect as a member of the House of Lords.
A Labour insider said: “The rumours of Vaughan going are everywhere, and few would be sorry to see him go. Eluned has done so much to steady the ship after Vaughan Gething’s disastrous tenure. Nobody wants to be dragged back to arguing about dodgy donations and stinking dumps in west Wales.
“Jo Stevens must realise how the voting public would view him getting a peerage. Winning next year’s elections has to come before her getting a job for her mate. I have every faith that Starmer’s people see this, and I’m sure they will just ignore the lobbying.”
A source close to Ms Stevens said: “This is completely and utterly untrue on every level.”
Another senior Labour source said: “I wouldn’t expect them to confirm anything about a peerage or a knighthood. Honours offers are like national security matters.”
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This stinks, and if it turns out to be true then labour can expect to plummet even further down in the polls for next year’s Senedd elections than the 18 percent another poll out today predicted they will get.
This is a thumbed nose, 2 fingers and a middle finger to Cymru. Two choices at the election. ‘The Party of (and FOR) Wales OR Unionist parties AGAINST Wales, two of which want to abolish it. Labour seems to have completely lost interest and appears to be heading for the beach.
That just about sums up modern life. Let’s reward people for not being able to do their job. It works for CEOs of water companies etc why not reward failed first ministers?
The toxic criminal backhander tactics that funded his campaign meant his claim to the position was untenable from day one. So I would retrospectively delete him ever been our first minister.
I look forward to congratulating the first fairly elected black leader of a European country, whenever it does happen.
Reform-Labour showing more of its oddities. I thought Labour was up for changing the lords or abolishing the nonsense. Bent appointments for disgraced polticians doesn’t help them
What has Reform got to do with it?
They are just establishment public school boys. Playing at being interested in what working people want.
Farage is an ex banker, friend of both putin and trump. Look at his track record as an MEP and as an MP.
As the article points out, there is no indication that westminster are considering this. This looks to me like someone wants Jo Stevens gone!
On balance I’d be happy enough to see Jo Stevens gone …
She seems incredibly uncomfortable when under examination. Like a lot of politicians, especially in labour, plaid and reform, she seems happier to criticise (ie opposition) than be grilled. Whilst I’m no Tory, at least they stood their ground, no matter how incredibly daft their standpoint was.
In the case of labour, I suspect it’s them not knowing the ins and outs of what they’re talking about.
She actually lost Labour my vote in the Westminster election last July. As I live in a seat which had for some years returned a Tory and, before that, a Labour MP, I’d pretty much decided I’d back the Labour candidate in order to do my bit to make sure that we weren’t represented by another Conservative.
But Jo Stevens gave a TV interview about a week prior to election day in which she seemed to me to imply a thoroughly condescending attitude towards devolution. That turned me off, and on the day I ended up voting for Plaid.
One of the challenges starmer had pre 2024 was how dire the talent pool was, and I’m afraid it hasn’t changed much. Like Boris got rid of moderate MPs, Corbyn did the same in labour. There weren’t many sensibles left pre 2024, and becoming an MP simply isn’t that attractive a prospect for many would-be candidates. Re the interview: this underlines how many contradictory positions labour took in 2024 to make sure the Tories got kicked out. I’m sympathetic to starmers approach, as it was the lesser of two evils, and the press would have been all over labour if… Read more »
I would be happy to see the job of Secretary of State for Wales gone completely. Can anyone name any past Secretary that did anything good for Cymru?
I’d raise a glass for Jim Griffiths – first holder of that office back in 1964 – and for Ron Davies, briefly in 1997 -8.
Can’t particularly think of any others, though.
I would say Paul Murphy has been a real asset to Wales and has a career to be proud of. I think I’m right to say William Hague was SOS for Wales! I’ll argue there have been few MPs with his intelligence and debating skills, even if he was a Tory!
Even though he was secretary of state for Wales twice over, I have to confess that I don’t have much memory of Mr Murphy’s contributions in that role. He made his mark more – and, in fairness, pretty impressively – in his role at the Northern Ireland office.
And while Hague was – and indeed still is – a sharp political mind, his lack of any substantive connection with Wales beyond marrying a Welsh and Welsh-speaking wife doesn’t strike me as being especially significant.
John Morris was OK in the 70’s.
He pushed hard to get the M4 completed in South Wales even though the Motorway was fully completed in England a decade sooner.
Fair comment, maybe.
Sorry Frank, I tried really hard. I dug deep and went as far as the centre of the Earth, but I can’t come up with anything good.
So exactly what has he done to deserve this? To be let loose in the Lords so he can mess everyone’s lives up, no sence to this.
‘Labour sources have told Nation.Cymru that a lobbying campaign is underway with the aim of securing a peerage for former First Minister Vaughan Gething.’
An unambiguously sour idea..
But, sadly, one which is all too characteristic of our decayed political structure.
you’ve got to laugh!
It does further delegitimise the unelected House of Lords, when we get a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes lobbying involved in getting someone placed in it.
Seeing how the sausage is made doesn’t promote respect for the institution.
Is it April 1st?
Only if any supporters of Vaughan and Jo post their comments in this section.
Amir I remember protests outside Stevens constituency office by Palestinian activists.
At the time Biden was US President.He was called Genocide Joe by Palestinian activists in the USA.
See where I’m coming from.
Not really.
And when you think that things could not get worse…it does!!!
Never in my lifetime have I ever witnessed such a poor political future for this country (Wales) of ours. We have been led by politicians so inept it fills me with fury and despair for the lives of future generations. I am astounded that the majority of the Welsh people will agree with the first sentence. Our lives are filled with disbelief at how politicians take us for granted whilst they shamelessly line their pockets with money earned from the fruits of our labour. The political landscape in Wales has been nothing short of chaotic, marked by a revolving door… Read more »
Useless in every role he has held. So send him to the House of Lords where he can claim exorbitant expenses for continuing to be useless. And, as tax payers, we pay for all of this
Appalling. UK Labour / Welsh Labour fail to read the room yet again. Extraordinary.
And they wonder why the voting public are apathetic , don’t trust a word politicians say anymore, so fall into the arms of populists when they see disgraced former First Minister Vaughan Gething benefit from scandal.
We will see a lot more of this in the next 11 months – and on public appointments. Welsh Labour know the game is up and all sorts of their supporters in around the Senedd will be looking to board the gravy train before the election invalidates their tickets. I only hope that the incoming government (whoever they are) starts from scratch and kicks them all out. They will if they have any sense because a bunch of Labour sympathisers aren’t going to do a new government any favours.
Stevens today made comments on the proposed floating wind turbines off Wales.
We can see where her loyalty lies.
“While welcoming the “brilliant” news, Jo Stevens also stepped into the teeth of a political storm that’s been blowing for some time.
Today’s announcement was “vindication” for not devolving control of the Crown Estate from the UK government to Wales, she said.”
Labour charlatans.
Please tell me some one is having a joke . If not it’s in bad taste to spread such rumours. If any truth then it’s 100% downfall of Labour in Wales. This man deserves only one award the dole queue.