Four ministers quit in plot to bring down Welsh First Minister Vaughan Gething

Four Welsh government ministers have dramatically quit in a plot to oust First Minister Vaughan Gething.

Mick Antoniw, Julie James, Lesley Griffiths and Jeremy Miles have all resigned from the Welsh Government, saying Mr Gething must leave office. The Labour First Minister lost a no confidence vote in May but vowed to carry on.

In a letter quitting as Welsh economy secretary, Mr Miles told Mr Gething: "We cannot continue like this." Mr Miles, who ran against Mr Gething for the Welsh Labour leadership, called on the First Minister to resign and said "the events of the last few months including your loss of the confidence vote in the Senedd, have been incredibly painful".

He told Mr Gething: "It's essential that we begin to repair the damage immediately, and I have reached the conclusion very regrettably that this cannot happen under your leadership. I can't see any way forward for us which allows us to get on with job we are elected to do, without you standing down."

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Welsh Culture and Social Justice Secretary Ms Griffiths also said she would resign "with a very heavy heart". In a resignation letter to Mr Gething, she said she has found it "deeply distressing" to see the "negative impact" of recent events, adding: "I have reached the conclusion that we simply will not be able to put things back on track under your leadership, leaving me with only one realistic option at this point."

Mr Antoniw urged Mr Gething to "put the country first" as he quit as the Welsh Government's counsel general. "Wales needs confident and stable government. I do not believe you are capable of delivering that," he said. "You have lost a vote of confidence in the Senedd. That is something I regard as being of major constitutional importance." Ms James added: "We must begin to repair this damage immediately and I am extremely sorry to tell you that I do not think you are capable of being the leader who can lead us through that."

At a debate in the Welsh Parliament in May, Mr Gething became visibly emotional as he wiped away tears after losing a confidence vote in his leadership after just 77 days in the job. He has has come under sustained criticism in recent months for his decision to sack former minister Hannah Blythyn, and over a series of rows concerning donations he took while running to be Welsh Labour leader. A deal with Welsh political party Plaid Cymru collapsed leading to the Welsh Tories submitting no confidence in the First Minister.

Mr Gething became the first Black leader of any European country when he succeeded Mark Drakeford as First Minister in March. Speaking after the vote, he branded the Tories’ motion a "desperate gimmick to try and deflect attention away from the general election" and said he had “always acted with integrity”. He added: "I think every now and again, we should all remember the politicians who serve our communities and countries are human beings too.”

A source close to Mr Gething said: "Jeremy (Miles) and his allies have clearly been planning this throughout the general election campaign. This has caused huge anger in Welsh Labour. It's extraordinary behaviour, especially when he should have been concentrating on the steel crisis at Port Talbot."

Ahead of the confidence vote, Keir Starmer at the time accused the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru of "game playing" ahead of the vote. Asked if Mr Gething should resign if he loses the vote, he said: "I think it's really important to see this for what it is, it's game playing by the Conservatives, Plaid playing along as well. What Vaughan Gething wants to do is to deliver for the people of Wales, and I think people in Wales want him to deliver for them so that's where his priority is and that's where my priority is."