Former First Minister, Vaughan Gething, will not seek re-election to Senedd
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00:00is Vaughan Gething. He was the man at the top of Welsh politics just a few months ago.
00:07Now he's off. The news coming today in the form of a tweet with Vaughan Gething confirming
00:12that he would not seek re-election at the 2026 Senedd elections, adding that the support
00:18of local members from Cardiff South and Penarth Labour Party has been a constant source of
00:23strength especially in recent months and saying that as a Welshman born in Zambia it's been
00:29a great honour to serve in the Welsh Government. Former First Minister Alan Michael says it
00:35will be a great loss.
00:36Desperately disappointed because he's shown himself to be an able leader, somebody who
00:43can manage a big department as he demonstrated during the Covid period and with the determination
00:52and the ambition to show real leadership to Wales.
00:57The first black leader of a European nation, Vaughan Gething rose through the ranks and
01:01took over as First Minister in March.
01:03Does an apology in any way fit in with his idea of a new start?
01:08But since then it's been far from a fairy tale. His leadership marred by controversy
01:12over a £200,000 donation from a firm owned by a man previously convicted of environmental
01:19offences.
01:20Then there was the sacking of one of his cabinet ministers, Hannah Blythyn, over leaked messages
01:26from the Covid pandemic. Ms Blythyn denying that she was the source of the leak. It all
01:31led to a no confidence vote in June which Mr Gething lost but insisted he wouldn't resign.
01:38But after four Welsh Government ministers resigned in July, calling for him to go, he
01:43announced he would step down.
01:45The new Welsh leader, Eluned Morgan, responded to today's news by saying her predecessor
01:50had made a truly historic contribution to Wales. A contribution Mr Gething will now
01:56serve from the back benches until his departure at the next Senate election.