‘Voting public to decide who is in the Senedd’
Copyright: BBC
Vikki Howells, the chair of the Labour group of Members of the Senedd (MSs), told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast that two members are currently unwell.
But she said Vaughan Gething would not stand down if he lost, saying the motion was a “gimmick” and it was up to the “voting public to decide who is in the Senedd”.
Mr Gething would not have to resign if he loses, Ms Howells added.
You can listen to the full interview on Radio Wales Breakfast here
‘First Minister in a really awkward position’
Gareth Lewis
Political editor, BBC Wales News
Video content
As it stands Vaughan Gething will lose today’s non-binding no confidence vote – so it doesn’t compel him to resign but with all that’s gone on, this puts him in a really awkward position.
Who is Vaughan Gething?
In March this year, Vaughan Gething made history when he became the first black leader of a European nation after replacing Mark Drakeford as Wales’ first minister.
Mr Gething was born in southern Africa in the capital of Zambia, Lusaka, in 1974, and then two years later this family moved to Britain.
He studied at Aberystwyth University, where he later went on to work as a lawyer, before turning to politics.
Mr Gething was first elected to Cardiff council as the Butetown representative in 2004, and then in 2011 he was elected to the National Assembly for Wales – as it was called before being renamed as the Welsh Parliament or Senedd – representing Cardiff South and Penarth.
It was as Welsh health minister that Mr Gething made his first big impression, as the Covid pandemic threw unprecedented attention on the Welsh government and increased his profile as a politician.
Copyright: PA Media
Questions over why two MSs not voting
Gareth Lewis
Political editor, BBC Wales News
Ever since the vote was called we had been using the word “unlikely” to describe the chances of a defeat for the FM.
The chances of an Labour MS abstaining seemed slim.
But there are other factors now at play. Two MSs are unwell and therefore cannot vote, Labour say.
It is unclear whether that prevents them from voting remotely, as the Senedd operates on a hybrid system.
Why could Vaughan Gething lose?
David Deans
Political reporter, BBC Wales News
Early this morning the chair of the Labour group, Vikki Howells, confirmed that two Labour MSs have been away with illness.
She did not confirm the names, which we know to be Hannah Blythyn, the former social partnership minister, and Lee Waters, the former transport minister.
Ms Blythyn was fired by Mr Gething in May because he accused her of leaking private text messages, which she denied.
Mr Waters has been a prominent critic of Mr Gething’s leadership campaign donations.
The numbers are so tight that if just one of them stays away the Conservatives could win the vote, assuming the opposition with Plaid Cymru, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds and Independent MS Rhys ab Owen remain united.
What is a no-confidence vote?
When a confidence motion is tabled in the Senedd (the Welsh Parliament), Members of the Senedd (MSs) vote on whether they have confidence in the ability of a leader to effectively do their job.
With the Senedd evenly split between the opposition and Vaughan Gething’s Welsh Labour party, he needed the whole of his Labour group to back him to win the vote.
For the motion to succeed later this afternoon, it requires a Labour MS to vote for the motion, choose not to vote, or be unable to vote – a camp that two Labour MSs appear to currently be in.
Good afternoon
Hello and welcome to what could potentially be a very dramatic day in the Welsh Parliament.
Today, First Minister Vaughan Gething will face a vote of no-confidence in his leadership of the Welsh government – which comes after months of criticism over donations he accepted to his leadership campaign.
Because Mr Gething’s Welsh Labour party holds exactly half of the parliament’s 60 seats, he was relying on every colleague there to support him to avoid losing the vote.
But in the first bit of drama this morning, Welsh Labour’s chair told the BBC that two of those Labour colleagues – believed to be members who have had fallouts with Mr Gething – are now “currently unwell” and are not expected to take part.
This means, as long as every other party votes against Mr Gething, he is currently set to lose the no-confidence motion.
Stick with us as we build to this afternoon’s crunch vote in the Senedd, with our reporters and editors bringing you all the latest updates, plus expert analysis and colour.
