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SCOTTISH Labour have remained silent after Welsh First Minister Vaughan Gething lost his no confidence vote on Wednesday.
The National reached out to the party asking whether they would back him continuing as FM or call for him to resign.
Previously, deputy leader Jackie Baillie said of former Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf, who resigned before a no confidence vote was held: "It is right that Humza Yousaf has taken the decision to resign rather than limp on. He has lost the confidence of Parliament.”
But we have received no response.
Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer also called out the party over the silence on Twitter/X.
Presumably @AnasSarwar will be calling for snap elections in Wales now, right? https://t.co/UplE5V7sxe
— Ross Greer (@Ross_Greer) June 5, 2024
He asked: “Presumably Anas Sarwar will be calling for snap elections in Wales now, right?”
The Scottish Labour leader did just that after Yousaf’s resignation.
Of course, Gething has not yet resigned.
In fact, he vowed to carry on leading the Welsh Government after losing the vote in the Senedd 29-27.
On Thursday he was in Normandy attending the national commemoration at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer.
He is then visiting Asnelles to pay his respects at the memorial to the South Wales Borderers – the only Welsh unit to land on D-Day.
Rhun ap Iorwerth, the leader of Plaid Cymru, said his party would consider tabling a motion of no-confidence in the Welsh Government as a whole.
“Yesterday was a solemn day and we’ve only ever had one other vote of no-confidence in a First Minister and that was back in 2000 (with) Alun Michael,” he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
“This was a serious and solemn day.”
Asked whether he was considering a motion of no-confidence in the Welsh Government, ap Iorwerth said: “Yes, absolutely, that is an option at a time like this.
“We’ll reflect on what happened yesterday, Wales, no doubt, will be reflecting on what happened.
“It means considering the options available to us. I would say this: I would hope that whilst he made a very hurried statement yesterday following the votes, I would hope that Vaughan Gething himself and the Labour Party reflect further on this.
“This has been damaging to democracy in Wales and when you do have a vote of no-confidence it sends a very clear and democratic message that the only honourable response would be a resignation.”
Wednesday afternoon’s dramatic scenes in the Senedd followed the collapse of the co-operation deal between Labour and Plaid Cymru and a series of rows involving Gething.
The Welsh First Minister told broadcasters: “I’m here, proud to be the First Minister of Wales to serve and lead my country. That’s what I’ve done today, it’s what I’ll carry on doing.”
Gething said it had been a “very disappointing afternoon”, branding the motion a “transparent gimmick” that was impacted by two members of his party being unwell.
Without the absence of Hannah Blythyn, who Gething recently sacked from his Government, and Lee Waters, the no-confidence motion was unlikely to have passed.
The motion was non-binding and will not force Gething to stand aside from his role as First Minister but the result will be embarrassing for him.
