Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Vaughan Gething resigns as First Minister
His resignation comes after four Welsh ministers stepped down from their posts in an apparently calculated move to force his hand.
In a move reminscent of the coup against Boris Johnson, Counsel General Mick Antoniw, Cabinet Secretary for Economy Jeremy Miles, Cabinet Secretary for Housing Julie James and Cabinet Secretary for Culture Lesley Griffiths posted separate letters on social media on Tuesday morning in which they called for Gething to go.
They did so just a day before the Senedd's last session prior to recess, in which the Tories have tabled a motion calling for the evidence that led to Hannah Bleddyn's sacking to be published.
Although the opposition have been calling for this outcome for some time, I am sure they would have hoped that Gething could hang on a little longer given he was such an asset to them. However, Labour's problems in Wales are not just about one man.
There is a general perception in Wales that Welsh Labour has failed to improve people's lives, while public services are getting worse on their watch. If the new First Minister cannot turn that around then the 2026 Senedd elections could prove very interesting indeed.
