Plaid Cymru to nominate Rhun ap Iorwerth in First Minister vote
Emily Price
Plaid Cymru will nominate Rhun ap Iorwerth in the vote to elect a new First Minister of Wales today.
A spokesperson from the party said questions about judgement and transparency regarding Vaughan Gething’s leadership campaign “requires alternative candidates to be considered.”
On Saturday (March 16) it was announced that the economy minister had narrowly won the Welsh Labour leadership election with 51.7% of the vote.
Donation
The incoming First Minister’s campaign has been mired in controversy over a huge donation and the role of unions in nominating him.
Mark Drakeford formally resigned as First Minister on Tuesday afternoon (March 19) after five years in office.
On Wednesday (March 20) the Senedd will vote to confirm Mr Gething as Wales’ next First Minister.
A spokesperson for Plaid Cymru said: “Plaid Cymru will nominate Rhun ap Iorwerth in the vote to elect a new First Minister of Wales tomorrow.
“The math dictates that Vaughan Gething will secure a majority vote, but in the current political climate, questions about judgement and transparency requires alternative candidates to be considered.”
However, he could be blocked if there is a united opposition and some abstentions from Labour MSs.
There has been rising discontent amongst Labour backbenchers over the £200,000 donation to Mr Gething’s campaign from a company run by a man twice convicted for environmental offences.
Plaid Cymru has made calls for the donation to be returned.
The Party’s Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts said in a post on X: “Plaid Cymru offer ethically-compromised Labour MSs the choice to do the right thing. Rhun for FM.”
Plaid Cymru MS, Mabon ap Gwynfor said: “I’ve been asked many times over the last few days if I’ll be supporting the nomination of Vaughan Gething for FM.
“Of course I won’t. There is a better candidate, one who has a clear vision about a prosperous and more equal Wales – Rhun ap Iorwerth.”
Votes
Andrew RT Davies has promised Welsh Conservative votes for Mr Gething, provided he scraps some key policies such as the 20mph default speed limit and more politicians in the Senedd.
Nomination
In the Senedd, any member could be nominated to be First Minister.
However, because the nominee has to have a simple majority of support, this would normally be the leader of the largest political group in the Senedd.
If more than one nomination is made, every MS except for the Llywydd and deputy presiding officer will be given the opportunity to vote for their preferred candidate by roll call.
However, other parties in the Senedd have the right to put forward their leaders’ names in a symbolic gesture.
In the 2016 election, when Labour won 29 seats, Plaid Cymru nominated their leader Leanne Wood for the office of First Minister.
Plaid Cymru, the Welsh Conservatives, and UKIP successfully blocked Carwyn Jones by all voting for Leanne Wood.
Carwyn Jones also received 29 votes from Labour and Liberal Democrat MS, Kirsty Williams, creating a deadlock.
A week later, Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru agreed to a minority Labour government and Carwyn Jones was appointed First Minister.
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Plaid would probably achieve more by getting answers to Union Block Voting protocol in the Leadership contest?
Sounds good. Rhun ap Iorwerth would be a good First Minister . Gething would be s disaster
You know he’s not going to win right? This is just attention seeking (as it was in 2016 when Leanne thought she could become FM having fought an election and winning just 12/60 seats).
Labour will get 29 votes, Andrew RT 16 and Rhun 11.
But, it does show that Plaid Cymru is actually the only effective opposition to the shenanigans of UK Welsh labour.
Even though they were beaten into third both at the ballot box in 2021 and in the Chamber today.
Despite sadly being a housing hypocrite personally, and leading a environmentally hypocritical party, Mr ap Iorwerth must surely be a better option than the dreadful Gething. It is quite worrying to go around different sites, social media, comment sections, and find little support and enthusiasm for Mr Gething.
Plaid will suffer at the election if they do this.
Why?
WEl medde Wil wrth y wal ond wedoedd y wal dim wrtho Wil.
Dim y fersiwn dw i wedi ei glywed …
“Wel,” meddai Wil wrth y wal.
“Paid â fy ngwlychu i,” meddai’r wal wrth Wil.
Confidently predict all Labour members will vote for Vaughan Gething. Plaid Cymru only have 12 members in the Senedd. Which is 20% of Senedd members and they are the third party.
But, it does show that Plaid Cymru is actually the only effective opposition to the shenanigans of UK Welsh labour.
Math?
The ‘s’ is silent in the U of A, Rob 😉
(But it shouldn’t be in Gwalia, I agree. Unless we’re talking about fab Mathonwy, I suppose.)
Speaking the international language, isn’t he? That’s why everyone says we should persist with English after all.
Futile gestures from Plaid and Tories. Better to usher Gething into the job and then hold him to account with regular battery of probing questions. Might even produce some results eventually.
“Futile” as in not having a chance of succeeding but I doubt anyone either Tory or Plaid Cymru thought otherwise.
But not “Futile” in the sense of foolish or useless as both parties are now on record as having not endorsed Gething as First Minister and neither can be accused of being guilty of ushering him into the role.
Not endorsing Gething doesn’t mean they can’t also “hold him to account with regular battery of probing questions”.