Vaughan Gething’s impressive failure

Vaughan Gething, First Minister of Wales, has managed to achieve the remarkable feat of losing a no confidence vote – just 77 days into his leadership. Defeat was inevitable after two of his Labour colleagues in the Welsh Senedd called in sick. During an often heated debate, Gething at one point appeared visibly emotional and had to be comforted by a colleague. The vote was called by the opposition Conservatives after a series of controversies that have dogged the first minister since he came into the top job. With Labour holding 30 out of the 60 seats in the Senedd, and with every other party set to vote against him, Gething needed the vote of every Labour member if he was to have any hope of winning. It simply proved too big a hurdle. In the end, he lost by two: 29 voted in favour of the no confidence resolution, while 27 voted against.