Vaughan Gething’s critics should look at themselves – minister

Martin Shipton, associate editor of Nation.Cymru, told the BBC’s Sunday Supplement that he felt the issue was “a complete red herring” that had been “brought in an attempt to save Mr Gething further embarrassment and indeed his job”.

Mr Shipton said Mr Gething “must expect to be held to account”, adding: “Suggesting there is some racial motive is dragging something in which is completely irrelevant for which there is no evidence.”

A Welsh government spokesperson said Mr Gething was not available for comment.

Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth said that while he had “no doubt” that Mr Gething had experienced racism in his life, it was important for him to clarify “that they don’t for a second think that the firm scrutiny, by myself and colleagues, of the first minister has been anything other than scrutiny of his actions and of his judgement and precisely nothing to do with the skin colour of anybody”.

“We are serious about our roles as parliamentarians and this is what this is about and the use of language is very, very important,” Mr ap Iorwerth added.

The leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, said: “This is about the confidence people have in the first minister and his judgement.

“It is not about the Welsh Labour government, it is about the first minister and confidence and that is the question that needs to be answered.”

Mr Davies said conversations about a vote of no confidence in the first minister would continue next week but that it “wasn’t practical” to hold a vote next week due to “tabling arrangements”.