Welsh secretary rejects Vaughan Gething ‘damaged goods’ claim

The new Labour Welsh secretary has said Vaughan Gething has her “complete support” as first minister, after concerns were expressed about the party’s electoral prospects in the Senedd.

Labour won 27 of the 32 Welsh seats in last Thursday’s general election, but Labour’s vote share fell to 37%, from 40.9%, with former first minister Mark Drakeford calling for a “proper investigation”.

Former UK minister Kim Howells warned Mr Gething was “damaged goods” and needed replacing “sooner rather that later”.

But new Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens called the party’s Welsh election result “absolutely phenomenal”, insisting the first minister was doing a “great job”.

Mr Gething lost a vote of no confidence in the Senedd last month, after two of his backbenchers were away sick.

That followed a row over donations to his leadership campaign, from a company owned by a man previously convicted of environmental offences.

The first minister maintains that he has broken no rules.

Mr Howells, ex-Pontypridd MP, told Sunday Supplement, on BBC Radio Wales, that Mr Gething was “damaged goods and Welsh Labour needs to change its leader sooner rather than later”.

“Former MPs are telling me that if this had been the Senedd elections, we’d have lost – they need to get a grip,” he added.

In 2026, 96 members will be elected to the Welsh Parliament, 36 more than the current Senedd, using an entirely proportional system.

Ms Stevens, appointed Welsh secretary by new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Friday, said Labour’s Senedd group had supported the first minister and “he is getting on with the job”.

“Vaughan has my complete support as first minister, I think he’s doing a great job,” she told the BBC Politics Wales programme.

“He will carry on doing a great job, and I’m really looking forward to working with him.”

Ms Stevens praised the way the first minister had reached a deal to end hospital doctors strikes in Wales, was reviewing the controversial 20mph default speed limit introduced by his predecessor and consulting over agricultural payment changes that had previously caused uproar amongst farmers.

During the general election campaign Labour promised to work with the party’s devolved government in Cardiff to get Welsh NHS waiting lists down, and the new cabinet minister was asked if she would like to see more alignment between the health services in England and Wales.

“I hope so,” she responded.

“I’m a great believer that if people are doing things well in any part of the United Kingdom then we should learn from that, we should share those learnings.”