Welsh First Minister Vaughan Gething lost a vote of no confidence in the Welsh Assembly on Wednesday, less than three months after making history as the UK’s first black prime minister.
The opposition Conservative Party, which has criticised Mr Gething’s leadership of Wales’ semi-autonomous government for weeks and his judgement over accepting controversial campaign funds, argued his vote was not binding.
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The result was 29 to 27 against the leader, a blow for Mr Gething, who said it had been a “very disappointing afternoon” but stressed he had no plans to resign.
“I am proud to serve and lead the country as Wales’ first Minister,” he said.
Gething’s Labour party holds 30 of the 60 seats in the upper house and with two Labour MPs absent sick on Wednesday, the motion of no confidence was almost certain to pass. Labour has relied on the support of Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru to win votes, but a cooperation agreement between the two parties broke down last month.
Mr Gething, who has a Welsh father and a Zambian mother, made history when he was elected to lead the Cardiff-based administration in March, saying at the time: “This is a matter of pride for modern Wales but also a tremendous responsibility for me and one which I do not take lightly.”
During the election campaign, Mr. Gething came under fire for accepting a 200,000-pound ($255,000) donation from a recycling company convicted of environmental crimes and breaching health and safety rules. Another company, owned by the same person, received a loan from the government-owned Development Bank of Wales in 2023 when Mr. Gething was economy minister.
Mr Gething denied any wrongdoing and said the donations were properly declared in accordance with election regulations.
“In my more than 10 years as minister, I have never taken a decision for personal gain or financial gain,” he said on Wednesday.
Welsh First Minister Vaughan Gething speaks at the launch of Labour’s six steps to reform Wales, at the Priory Centre in Abergavenny, Wales, during the general election campaign, Thursday, May 30, 2024. The leader of Wales’ semi-autonomous government will face a motion of no confidence in the Welsh Assembly on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, but has no plans to resign if defeated, his party has said. (Stephane Rousseau/PA via The Associated Press)
But the trouble is not over: Plaid Cymru leader Rune ap Iowelt cited the donations as a reason for ending the pact with Labor.
Mr ap Iorworth said Mr Gething’s “poor judgement, lack of remorse and bunker mentality do not demonstrate the required capabilities for the office of First Minister”.
But Mr Gething exposed internal divisions within the Welsh Labour party when he sacked Government minister Hannah Bryson for allegedly leaking private telephone messages to the media.
Ms Blaisin denied this but was one of two Labour MPs who missed Wednesday’s meeting due to illness.
Vicky Howells, leader of the Labour group in the Senedd, said the Conservatives had refused to accept “pairing”, the practice of one candidate agreeing to abstain if their opponent has to sit out.
The Conservatives said the pairing system is not normally used for votes on major issues.
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Gething criticised the tone of the debate about his conduct, saying: “Many people of colour, like me, have been vilified and criticised for simply raising concerns about how some of these debates have been handled.”
Wales, with a population of about three million, is one of the four regions that make up the United Kingdom, along with England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The British government in London is responsible for defence, foreign affairs and other UK-wide issues, while the executives in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast are responsible for areas such as education and health.
