Vaughan Gething gone after just 118 days

It’s been a turbulent morning in Wales. First, four ministers from the Labour group quit over growing frustration at their scandal-ridden party leader Vaughan Gething. That had the intended effect. Gething has announced he will be stepping down as First Minister – making him the shortest-serving FM the country has seen, serving in the post for a mere 118 days.

In a statement released this morning, Gething said that he had hoped the summer break would have provided a ‘period of reflection, rebuilding and renewal’ under his leadership, but after this morning’s intervention from his former ministers he admitted: ‘I recognise now that this is not possible.’

Gething’s time in the top job was tainted from the start after the former leadership contender accepted a £200,000 donation from David Neal, a donor who has previously twice been convicted of environmental offences. Despite facing warnings at the time from Labour figures over the cash, Gething accepted the payment, which accounted for around 80 per cent of his overall donations.