Vaughan Gething to stand down from Senedd at next election

Vaughan Gething, the Labour former first minister of Wales who stood down following a series of scandals, has announced he will not seek re-election for the Senedd.

Mr Gething, the MS for Cardiff South and Penarth, said it had been “an immense honour” to serve his constituents and in the Welsh Government as he made the announcement.

On X, formerly Twitter, he wrote: “I have spoken to the First Minister to confirm that I will not be seeking a role in government and that I will support her leadership as a backbencher.”

After paying tribute to his successor Eluned Morgan, Mr Gething added: “I will continue to serve the constituency until 2026 and look forward to working on issues where I can further the causes of social justice that drew me into public service.”

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'Inspiring'

The Labour MS added: “As a Welshman born in Zambia, it has been a great honour to serve in the Welsh Government for over a decade.

“The opportunity to make a difference alongside inspiring people and movements, determined to make change happen, is a special privilege. One I will always be grateful for and proud of.”

Mr Gething lasted less than 140 days as first minister, having presided over a turbulent period in office, beset by rows over donations and sacked ministers.

He took over from Mark Drakeford in March, and announced his intention to resign in July after four members of his government quit, criticising his leadership.

During the last leadership race, Nation.Cymru revealed that Mr Gething took a £200,000 donation for his campaign from a company owned by a man twice convicted of environmental offences, which led to some members of his own party criticising his judgment.

In June, Mr Gething lost a vote of no confidence in the Senedd, after rows over the donation, and his decision to sack Delyn MS Hannah Blythyn as a minister.

Ms Blythyn was removed from Vaughan Gething's cabinet in May after she was accused of being the source of a leaked iMessage screen grab published by Nation.Cymru.

The image revealed the First Minister had told a pandemic era ministerial group chat that he was deleting messages because they could be subject to Freedom of Information legislation.

Ms Blythyn denied the being the source of the leak saying her integrity remains intact.

Nation.Cymru then took the extraordinary step of confirming she was not the source of the leak.

Health secretary

Baroness Morgan was health secretary from 2021 until she succeeded Mr Gething – himself a former health secretary – as leader of Welsh Labour on July 24, and was then sworn in as the first woman First Minister of Wales.

She paid tribute to her predecessor, and said he had made “a truly historic contribution to Wales in some of the toughest of circumstances”.

Baroness Morgan added: “I know that Vaughan will go on to make important contributions to our country in the years ahead.

“Diolch Vaughan am bopeth rwyt ti wedi neud dros ein gwlad (Thank you Vaughan for everything you have done for our country).”

Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Labour MP for Torfaen, and a senior minister in Sir Keir Starmer’s Government at Westminster, said Mr Gething had given “extraordinary service to Wales” in a tribute on social media site X.

“I will always remember how he stepped up during the pandemic, showing integrity and commitment in the hardest of times,” he added.