Vaughan Gething resigns as first minister of Wales
Baku, July 16, AZERTAC
Vaughan Gething has announced he is quitting as first minister of Wales following a brief and turbulent period in the job after his fate was sealed by the resignation of four of his ministers, according to the Guardian.
Gething has faced a series of controversies, including over donations and claims he sought to delete sensitive messages, since he took over from Mark Drakeford as first minister and the leader of Welsh Labour in March.
Responding to the news, Plaid Cymru called for a snap Senedd election, while the Welsh Conservatives said Keir Starmer was “culpable for the breakdown in governance in Wales” for having backed the first minister.
Gething, 50, who was the first Black leader of a European country, lost a vote of confidence in the Senedd in June, but refused to step down. His hand was forced, however, after four ministers resigned from the Welsh government on Tuesday, all of them urging Gething to stand down, saying his position was untenable.
In a statement later on Tuesday, Gething wrote: “I have this morning taken the difficult decision to begin the process of stepping down as leader of the Welsh Labour party and, as a result, first minister.
“Having been elected as leader of my party in March, I had hoped that over the summer a period of reflection, rebuilding and renewal could take place under my leadership. I recognise now that this is not possible.”
After thanking those who supported him, Gething hit out at his critics. “A growing assertion that some kind of wrongdoing has taken place has been pernicious, politically motivated and patently untrue,” he said. “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..
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