Oh, Vaughan Gething, the man of the hour – or more accurately, the man of the four months. Wales’ very own flash-in-the-pan former First Minister has announced that he won’t be standing for re-election in 2026. And if you listen carefully, you might just hear the collective sigh of relief echoing from the valleys. Good riddance to bad leadership, or as they say in Welsh, “Diolch am beidio dod yn ôl.”
After all, Mr. Gething’s tenure at the top was about as inspiring as a soggy Welsh weekend. He barely warmed the seat before he was booted out, leaving us all wondering if this was some kind of record, the Liz Truss Lettuce Award, perhaps for political speed-running. “Historic contribution to Wales,” says his successor, Eluned Morgan. Historic in what sense, exactly? The speed at which he turned a leadership role into a no-confidence vote, perhaps? It is truly a first for the history books.
Let’s not forget that Vaughan’s leadership journey was a thrilling rollercoaster – if your idea of thrilling is watching a man fumble his way through a swamp of controversy. From the £200,000 campaign donation by a businessman with a record for environmental crimes to his less-than-impressive handling of internal party disputes, Gething’s stint was like a season of Keeping Up with the Senedd, only with fewer redeemable characters.
Of course, he was never one to dwell on his shortcomings. “As a ‘Welshman’ born in Zambia, it has been a great honour to serve in the Welsh government,” he gushed to his local Labour Party, hoping nobody would focus too much on the ‘serving himself’ part of that sentence. The truth is, the only thing Gething has served up in the last few months is a masterclass in how not to run a government.
Then there’s the tribute from Eluned Morgan, who must have missed the memo about “speak no ill of the departed” not being a mandatory practice. She praised him for steering Wales through the pandemic and landing “major investment in our semiconductor industry.” Was that before or after half his cabinet resigned, and his leadership unravelled faster than a badly knited scarf? If landing a semiconductor deal is all it takes to be hailed a hero, then maybe our standards need an upgrade.
And let’s not even start on his legendary exit – the kind where you lose a no-confidence vote but refuse to resign. Two labour members were off sick, but it’s not like that detail mattered when Gething declared, “I won’t resign.” Sure, Vaughan, why not? It’s not like losing a vote of confidence is an indication that maybe, just maybe, you’ve lost the room.
The drama reached its inevitable climax when Plaid Cymru ended its co-operation deal with Labour, and cabinet members began jumping ship faster than rats off the Titanic. With his authority crumbling and his support base reduced to tepid statements and reluctant nods, Gething finally admitted defeat. “It has been the honour of my life,” he said, describing his tenure in a way that suggested he’d actually been present for it.
So now Vaughan is off to the back benches, where he promises to support Eluned Morgan – because if there’s one thing she needs, it’s more support from the man who nearly brought the house down. As for his future contributions to Wales, one can only hope they involve staying as far away from the decision-making process as possible.
So, goodbye Vaughan Gething. May your political retirement be peaceful, your controversies minimal, and your future statements relegated to the ‘mute’ section of our social media feeds. And if you could take the rest of the 59 Senedd wasters with you, that’d be grand. Wales has seen enough of this political pantomime for one decade.
