Vaughan Gething’s nomination as First Minister in March 2024 marked the first time a Black politician had been chosen to lead the Welsh Government. Speaking in the Senedd, he connected the occasion to the development of devolution and to questions about who could belong in Welsh public life. 4
Law, unions and political participation
Born in Zambia and brought up in Dorset, Gething studied at Aberystwyth and Cardiff universities. He worked as a solicitor and became a partner at Thompsons. His earlier public roles included serving as president of NUS Wales, a county councillor and a school governor. He also held the presidency of the Wales TUC. 1
Between 1999 and 2001, he worked as a researcher for Assembly Members Val Feld and Lorraine Barrett. During the same period, he chaired Right to Vote, a cross-party project encouraging greater participation by minority ethnic communities in Welsh public life. He was elected to represent Cardiff South and Penarth in 2011, entering the institution whose early development he had worked within. 1
Responsibility for health and care
As Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services, Gething published A Healthier Wales in June 2018. The plan responded to a parliamentary review of health and social care and proposed a long-term approach linking the two. Its emphasis was on wellbeing and preventing illness. It set out the government’s intention to plan services together, making the relationship between different kinds of care a central policy concern. 2
The pandemic brought immediate demands on those services. In August 2020, as Health and Social Services Minister, Gething announced an additional £22.7 million for adult social care providers, following £40 million made available to local authorities in April. Providers faced extra staffing and infection-control costs, higher food prices and expenditure on technology to keep families in touch. Restrictions on admissions also reduced care homes’ income. The announcement addressed the financial pressures of continuing care during an emergency, with the additional support running to the end of September before review. 3
Becoming First Minister
On 20 March 2024, the Senedd selected Gething as its nominee for First Minister with 27 of the 51 votes cast. In his speech, he recalled campaigning for devolution and argued for a stronger relationship between the Welsh and UK governments. He also addressed the racist abuse and questioning of his nationality that he expected his appointment to provoke. 4
Disputes and a confidence vote
His leadership faced criticism over a £200,000 campaign donation. In the Senedd’s debate on 5 June, opponents questioned accepting money from a company whose owner had environmental convictions. Gething denied making ministerial decisions for personal or financial gain. He said he had initiated a party review of donations and requested examination of the Senedd’s rules. 5
Members also challenged his dismissal of minister Hannah Blythyn over an alleged leak of messages; she denied the accusation. The Senedd passed a motion of no confidence by 29 votes to 27. The vote exposed the limits of support for his leadership within the legislature. 5
The dispute over Blythyn continued. On 11 July, Nation.Cymru, the news organisation that had published the pandemic-era messages, stated publicly that she had not been its source and that it had not had contact with her about the story. The organisation made this statement following her personal statement in the Senedd and Gething’s response. 6
Resignation and the transfer of office
On 16 July, senior members of his government resigned. That day, Gething announced that he would begin stepping down as Welsh Labour leader and consequently as First Minister. He said that the rebuilding of his leadership he had hoped for was no longer possible. He continued to deny wrongdoing, stating that he had followed the rules and had not misused his ministerial position. His announcement began a succession process; he said he would discuss a timetable with the party before confirming when he would formally leave office. 7
Eluned Morgan became First Minister on 6 August 2024, following a Senedd vote to nominate her. She had served as Health Secretary since 2021. Her appointment completed the change of leadership announced in July and ended Gething’s short period at the head of the Welsh Government. 8
Gething’s service as the Labour and Co-operative member for Cardiff South and Penarth continued after the change of First Minister. His time in the Senedd ended in April 2026, fifteen years after his first election. 1
Sources and further reading
1. Vaughan Gething: Senedd Biography. Senedd Cymru.
2. A Healthier Wales Statement, 11 June 2018. Welsh Government.
3. Extra £22.7 Million for Adult Social Care. Welsh Government.
4. First Minister Nomination, 20 March 2024. Senedd Cymru.
5. Confidence Debate, 5 June 2024. Senedd Cymru.
6. Hannah Blythyn Was Not Our Source. Nation.Cymru.
7. Personal Statement, 16 July 2024. Senedd Cymru.
8. Eluned Morgan Becomes First Minister. Welsh Government.
Featured image. Vaughan Gething in his official portrait as First Minister of Wales, photographed in March 2024. Photograph: Matthew Horwood / Welsh Government; Crown copyright, 21 March 2024, via Wikimedia Commons; source-provided crop. Image record · Open Government Licence 3.0
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