There were two absences among the government’s Labour members – former social partnership minister Hannah Blythyn and ex-transport minister Lee Waters were ill…reports Asian Lite News
First Minister Vaughan Gething has insisted he is not going to resign, after losing a vote of no confidence because two Labour members were off sick.
After one of the most extraordinary debates in the 25 years of Welsh devolution, 29 Senedd members voted in favour of the resolution while 27 voted against.
The parliament’s rules do not require Mr Gething to quit and he told reporters: “I’m going to carry on doing my duty.”
Opposition parties called for him to go, with Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth even saying senior Welsh government figures had wanted the vote to happen.
The Senedd vote was called by the Conservatives over donations made to Mr Gething’s leadership campaign by a company owned by a man previously convicted of environmental offences.
There are 60 members of the Welsh Parliament – Labour holds exactly half of the seats with 30 members, while there are 16 Tories, 13 Plaid Cymru members and a solitary Liberal Democrat.
There were two absences among the government’s Labour members – former social partnership minister Hannah Blythyn and ex-transport minister Lee Waters were ill.
Speaking later, Mr Gething ruled out standing down saying that he would travel to Normandy on Wednesday night to take part in D-Day commemoration events.
He described the no confidence vote as a “desperate gimmick” from the Conservatives during the general election campaign.
“Months and months of innuendo are damaging and hurtful,” he said.
Senedd Cymru Labour Chief Whip Jane Hutt comforted a tearful Vaughan GethingSenedd Cymru
Labour Chief Whip Jane Hutt comforted a tearful Vaughan Gething
But Welsh Conservative Senedd group leader Andrew RT Davies said he had “lost the confidence of the people of Wales”.
“He has lost the confidence of the Senedd. The only person who is still batting for Vaughan Gething is Keir Starmer.”
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said the Senedd had “spoken on behalf of the people of Wales – we have no confidence in the Labour first minister”.
“His government is clearly in disarray and as such is unable to face the significant challenges ahead for Wales.”
Speaking later he said that even “senior Labour members of his government were eager for this vote to take place because they have lost faith and confidence in Vaughan Gething”.
Jane Dodds, Welsh Liberal Democrat leader and the party’s only politician in the Senedd, said: “Any attempts of holding onto power would go against the established norms of our parliamentary democracy.”
