Wales’ first minister Vaughan Gething resigns as ministers quit

Wales’ First Minister Vaughan Gething has announced his resignation, only four months after taking the job.

It comes after three of his Welsh government ministers and his top legal adviser dramatically released resignation statements calling for him to stand down.

Mr Gething has been embroiled in controversy since he took over in March, and has been dogged by questions over a £200,000 campaign donation from a businessman convicted of environmental offences.

In his resignation statement he denied wrongdoing, adding: “I regret that the burden of proof is no longer an important commodity in the language of our politics.”

In the tense session of the Senedd, Mr Gething said a new leader would be in place “early in the autumn”.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer thanked Mr Gething for his service, adding: “I know what a difficult decision this has been for him, but I also know he has made it because he feels it is the best decision now for Wales.”

Cabinet members Mick Antoniw, Lesley Griffiths, Julie James and Jeremy Miles all resigned from their positions on Tuesday morning and called on Mr Gething to quit.

All released letters on X – formerly known as Twitter.

Mr Miles, the former economy secretary, said: “The events of the last few months including your loss of the confidence vote in the Senedd have been incredibly painful. I can’t see any way forward for us”.

Mr Antoniw said Mr Gething was not capable of delivering stable government, while Ms James said she saw “no way to agreeing a budget”.

Labour holds 30 of the 60 Senedd seats – all opposition politicians had ruled out working with the government to agree its spending plans and the party needs help from one other opposition politician to secure a majority.

Just before his resignation, Mr Gething released evidence he said he relied upon when he took the decision to sack Hannah Blythyn as a minister – one of the controversies which increased pressure on him.

He said it showed the leaked messages had come from her phone.

Ahead of First Minister’s Questions in the Senedd, Mr Gething made a speech outlining his intention to resign.

He received polite applause and desk tapping from some Members of the Senedd (MSs) but some Labour members did not join in.

Mr Gething said he had hoped that over the summer, “rebuilding and renewal could take place under my leadership” but now recognised “that this is not possible”.

He said recent weeks had been the most difficult time “for me and my family”.

“A growing assertion that some kind of wrongdoing has taken place has been pernicious, politically motivated and patently untrue.

“In 11 years as a minister, I have never ever made a decision for personal gain. I have never ever misused or abused my ministerial responsibilities.”

Welsh Conservative Senedd group leader Andrew RT Davies said the resignation was “long overdue”.

He added: “But there can be no doubt that his Labour colleagues, from those who resigned today all the way up to Keir Starmer, have stood by his side and are culpable for the breakdown in governance in Wales.”

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth had pulled out of a co-operation deal with Welsh Labour back in May.

On Tuesday he called for a snap Welsh Parliament election – two years ahead of the next scheduled one in 2026.

He said: “The people of Wales must be given the opportunity to elect a new government and an election must be called.”

Jane Dodds, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said it was a sad day and it was important to focus on everyone who has been affected.

“It was going to happen at some point, but again we need to make sure everybody’s is OK in this and we need to respect the process.”

Huw Irranca Davies, climate change and rural affairs minister, said Mr Gething had made a “brave decision”, adding it was a “desperately sad day”.

Mr Irranca Davies said he had not planned to resign along with the other cabinet members.

“I’m reflecting at the moment on the track record of Vaughan, who I have known for many many years, and what Vaughan has done in terms of trying to focus on leading this Senedd and leading this government.”

Two-thirds of the Senedd would need to vote for its dissolution for a snap election to be called. Labour holds 30 of the 60 seats.

Mr Gething made history in March when he became the first black leader of a national government in Europe, something Sir Keir said would “broaden the ambitions and raise the gaze of a generation of young people in Wales and beyond.”

His election was announced on 16 March but his tenure would last only 118 days after being sworn in as first minister.

But ongoing controversy led to the collapse of a co-operation agreement between Labour and Plaid Cymru, and he subsequently lost a non-binding vote of no confidence in the Senedd.

In Ms Blythyn’s constituency of Delyn in Flintshire, residents said the first minister’s resignation was not a surprise.

Karen McDonaugh-Nicholls, of Mold, said: “I think it’s probably the right thing to do. As soon as those question marks appeared around taking that money for a campaign then I think his days were numbered actually.”

Richard Oates, of Lixwm, added: “He had quite a lot to answer to, he ought to return the money, frankly.”

On Hannah Blythyn, Mr Oates thought Mr Gething had treated the ex-minister “badly”.

Meanwhile in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, which is within Mr Gething’s constituency – Linda Kidby said she thought the first minister had “done a lot of good” in his political career, but added he was “on borrowed time”.

Mike Collins said Mr Gething “could have saved his career” if he had resigned sooner.

By Chris Mason, BBC political editor

Just when you’d have been forgiven for thinking politics might quieten down a bit…

The Welsh Labour government was for so long a case study in how the party could operate in power during its long years of opposition at Westminster.

And yet here we are less than a fortnight into a UK Labour government and the Welsh Labour government is imploding.

So much for all that talk about bringing stability back to politics.

Read more

Mr Gething’s resignation announcement triggers the second Welsh Labour leadership contest of the year.

Mr Miles – who narrowly lost to Mr Gething in the previous leadership campaign – has been spoken of as a potential candidate, although he has not yet said publicly if he would run again.

He may face someone from the group of people who have supported Mr Gething during the contest, although it is not yet clear who.

Mr Gething will have to formally resign to the King and the Labour group will need to decide a timetable for a new process, which Mr Gething suggested would be complete by the early autumn.