Vaughan Gething says he will step down from Welsh Parliament

Former First Minister of Wales Vaughan Gething has announced he will not run for re-election in 2026.

In July, he stepped down from the top job just four months after taking it.

Mr Gething has been mired in controversy since taking over in March and has been dogged by questions over a £200,000 campaign donation from a businessman convicted of environmental crimes.

Eluned Morgan, who succeeded Mr Gething as Prime Minister, paid tribute to him, saying he had made a “truly historic contribution to Wales”.

Mr Gething told Cardiff and Penarth Labour Party members on Saturday that he will not stand again before sharing a statement on social media.

The Senedd Member for Cardiff South and Penarth said: “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.

“Something I will always be grateful and proud of.”

He said he had spoken to Prime Minister Eluned Morgan to confirm he would not seek a government role and would support her behind the scenes.

Paying tribute, Ms Morgan said in a statement that her predecessor had made “a truly historic contribution to Wales in some of the most difficult circumstances”.

“From helping to steer Wales through the pandemic and delivering one of the fastest vaccine rollouts on the planet to securing major investment in our semiconductor industry,” she said.

“Vaughan has delivered time and time again and has advanced the cause of devolution in Wales.

“He has always been a team player who has shown kindness and support to me and others, even under enormous pressure, in the roles he has played for the people of Wales.

“I know Vaughan will make important contributions to our country in the years to come.”

Mr Gething worked as a lawyer before being first elected to the National Assembly for Wales, as it was then called, to represent Cardiff South and Penarth in 2011.

He rose through the ranks from backbench MP to cabinet member, and it was as Welsh health minister that Mr Gething made the biggest impression, as the Covid pandemic brought unprecedented attention to the Welsh Government and raised his profile as a politician.

Mr Gething became Wales’ first minister on March 20, 2024, but his campaign was marred by controversy over his acceptance of a £200,000 donation from a company owned by a man previously convicted of environmental crimes.

Mr. Gething insisted he followed the rules on campaign donations.

In May, Mr Gething sacked one of his ministers, Hannah Blythyn, after messages about the Covid pandemic were leaked to the Nation.Cymru website.

The leaked messages showed Mr Gething claiming he would delete all correspondence from an iMessage group of Welsh ministers.

But Ms Blythyn denied she was the source of the leak and Nation.Cymru later said she was not the source of the information.

Mr Gething then said the leaks “could only have been from a member’s phone”.

At the time, he did not provide any public evidence to support his claim, saying he “preferred not to address that detail in public.”

In July, under pressure to produce evidence to support Ms Blythyn’s dismissal, the Welsh government published the unredacted messages from two different copies of the group chat.

Mr Gething also faced questions from MS and the leaked messages were sent to the Covid inquiry.

Vote of no confidence

Later in May, Plaid Cymru ended its cooperation agreement with Labour in the Senedd after Plaid leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said he was “deeply concerned” about donations Mr Gething had accepted during his leadership campaign.

In June, Mr Gething lost a vote of no confidence in the Senedd – when two Labour members were ill – but insisted he would not resign.

Four members of the Welsh Government cabinet resigned at the same time in July, calling for Mr Gething to step down.

He responded with a statement confirming that he was stepping down as prime minister.

“It was the greatest honor of my life to do this work, even if it was just for a few months,” he said.