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Politics

Call for Senedd election as First Minister steps aside

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VAUGHAN Gething faced calls for a snap Senedd election after he was forced to stand down as Wales’ First Minister by mass resignations from his government.

Mr Gething, who took office less than four months ago, confirmed he will stand down after three ministers and the Welsh Government’s chief legal adviser quit on Tuesday.

His leadership has been mired by controversy over a £200,000 donation from a convicted polluter, a lost no-confidence vote and the sacking of a minister accused of leaking.

Julie James, Lesley Griffiths, Mick Antoniw and Jeremy Miles penned letters of resignation after the First Minister initially resisted their calls to stand down for the good of the country.

Plaid Cymru called for an immediate Senedd election, warning that the people of Wales are losing confidence in Labour’s ability to govern.

Sian Gwenllian criticised “unforgiveable chaos” in the Labour party during First Minister’s questions in the Senedd’s debating chamber, or Siambr.

Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Conservative group, told the Senedd the First Minister refused to shake his hand that morning as they bumped into each other in a lift.

Mr Davies said it is vital that a clear timetable is put in place to appoint his successor as he questioned whether the “riven” Labour group in the Senedd will last until the 2026 election.

“Of course, we can,” replied Mr Gething. “And whatever happens in the leadership contest to come – the people of Wales will decide who comes to this place in an expanded Senedd.”

Mr Gething said the executive of Welsh Labour will determine the rules and timetable for the contest, adding that he will continue until the Senedd chooses Wales’ new First Minister.

He explained: “Early in the autumn a new person will be stood here as the leader of Welsh Labour, and this place will need to decide whether to elect that person as … First Minister.”

Rhun ap Iorwerth called for a snap Senedd election, saying Wales deserves better than a “revolving door” of Labour First Ministers.

Plaid Cymru’s leader said the First Minister should have stood down many weeks ago.

He told the Senedd: “His response should have been to acknowledge his poor judgement and to recognise the very real perceptions created.”

Mr ap Iorwerth accused the First Minister of seeking to blame others, including opposition politicians and journalists, for scrutinising him.

“The lack of good sense of the First Minister and his unwillingness to be scrutinised has undermined the role .. and brought Welsh politics into disrepute,” he warned.

“Very seldom does the head of a government in a democracy ignore the will of the legislature. In ignoring a vote of confidence, he had to go.”

Mr Gething hit back at “smears”, saying: “If our politics is going to serve the country, then some of us at least have to have some integrity about the way we go about our jobs, including the criticism of other people.”

The First Minister rejected suggestions he had swerved scrutiny.

Referring to Boris Johnson, he said: “I have not hidden during the election campaign. I have gone out and been front and centre. I haven’t found a convenient fridge to hide in – I have done my job for the country.”

Adam Price, the former Plaid Cymru leader, called for an independent ethics commissioner, suggesting it could have avoided the damage of the past few months.

He said: “We’re all called into politics … to make a difference in people’s lives and that becomes impossible in the absence of trust.”

In a personal statement to the Senedd, Mr Gething, who was applauded by some on the Labour benches, said:  “This has been an incredibly difficult time for me and my family.

“A growing assertion that some kind of wrongdoing has taken place has been pernicious, politically motivated and patently untrue.

“I have worked hard, followed the rules and done really difficult and demanding jobs for my country. In 11 years as a minister, I have never ever made a decision for personal gain. I have never ever misused or abused my ministerial responsibilities.

“My integrity matters – I have not compromised it.”

The first black leader of any country in Europe added: “To those in Wales who look like me – many of whom I know feel personally bruised and worried by this moment – I know that our country can be better – must be better. I know that cannot happen without us.

In a statement, Prime Minister Keir Starmer thanked Vaughan Gething for his service as Welsh Labour leader and First Minister of Wales.

“Vaughan should take enormous pride in being the first black leader of any country in Europe,” said Sir Keir.

“That achievement will have broadened the ambitions and raised the gaze of a generation of young people in Wales and beyond.

“I know what a difficult decision this has been for him – but I also know that he has made it because he feels it is the best decision now for Wales.

“I wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

Crime

Senedd rejects call for child sex abuse inquiry, but agrees audit

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SENEDD Members rejected calls for a Wales-wide independent inquiry into child sexual exploitation by so-called grooming gangs, supporting plans for an audit instead.

The Conservatives’ Altaf Hussain backed a campaign led by Emily Vaughn, not her real name, a victim of exploitation and trafficking, for an inquiry into the scale of the issue.

Aged 11, Emily was forced into trafficking drugs for a “county lines” gang then taken from her home in south Wales to Telford where she was continually sexually assaulted.

Mr Hussain told the Senedd: “Talking about her years of abuse and torture Emily said, ‘When I first reported what happened to me to the police, they did not help me. They did not even know what it was or understand what they were doing.’

“And sadly, we know from the UK independent inquiry that Emily’s story is far from unique. Girls and boys trafficked, abused and ignored by those supposed to protect them.”

While Senedd Members voted 34-13 against the Tory motion, Plaid Cymru’s amendment – which called for an all-Wales audit – was unanimously agreed.

Mr Hussain said Emily has criticised those seeking to “shut down” debate. “The more you talk about it, the more children at risk of being groomed can be saved,” she told him.

Pointing to her petition for a Wales-wide inquiry, he quoted Emily as saying: “Look at the map of the UK – do politicians think that grooming gangs stop when it comes to Wales? People who exploit children don’t care about borders.”

Labour’s Lee Waters intervened, criticising former Tory group leader Andrew RT Davies for “focusing specifically on the role of what he calls Pakistani men in grooming gangs”.

Labour MS Lee Waters

Mr Hussain stressed that grooming gangs are not limited to any one group, saying they come from all walks of life, races and religions.

Leading a debate on February 12, the shadow social justice secretary said: “The only way we can treat victims with compassion, deliver them justice and ensure no other child suffers in silence is to listen … and victims like Emily are shouting out for a Wales-wide inquiry.”

Plaid Cymru’s Sioned Williams urged Welsh ministers to implement the recommendations of Professor Alexis Jay’s 2022 independent UK inquiry “without any further delay”.

Plaid Cymru's shadow social justice minister, Sioned Williams
Plaid Cymru’s shadow social justice minister, Sioned Williams

Her party’s amendment advocated an all-Wales audit into the scale of nature of gang-based exploitation before considering whether to commission a further independent inquiry.

Ms Williams said: “Prof Jay has warned that another inquiry would delay justice for survivors and that must be the priority.”

She called for urgent action on specialist therapeutic support for child victims of sexual abuse, with long waiting lists and many parts of Wales having no services at all.

Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds, a social worker for 27 years, supported Plaid Cymru’s position, saying: “I don’t believe there should be an inquiry at this point. We’ve already had a very detailed inquiry.”

Jane Dodds MS, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats
Jane Dodds MS, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats

Raising concerns about language, she warned the term “grooming gangs” has been used and will continue to be used by the right to “whip up” outrage and fury.

Jane Hutt, the Welsh Government’s social justice secretary, told the Senedd: “I want to reinforce the importance of learning from and delivering on the recommendations of the comprehensive independent inquiry into child sexual abuse.”

Pledging to implement the six recommendations, Ms Hutt said ministers will soon consult on a new ten-year strategy for preventing and responding to child sexual abuse.

Jane Hutt, Trefnydd and chief whip
Jane Hutt, social justice secretary, Trefnydd and chief whip

She raised the role of a national audit which was commissioned by the UK Government in response to similar calls for an inquiry in Westminster.

Darren Millar, leader of the Conservative opposition, said: “Child sexual exploitation is one of the most heinous crimes imaginable. It not only robs children of their innocence but it causes a lifetime of trauma for victims, particularly when perpetrators go unpunished.”

Mr Millar added that listening to Emily’s experiences convinced him of the case for an independent Wales-wide inquiry to get to grips with the issue once and for all.

Conservative MS Darren Millar
Conservative MS Darren Millar

He said: “We know from the work by Prof Jay, that the only place that she looked at in Wales was Swansea and she found evidence of criminal gangs exploiting children for sex.

“What would have happened if she’d have looked in Cardiff, Newport, Bangor, Colwyn Bay or Wrexham? I suspect she may have found things there but they haven’t been looked at.

“Unfortunately, that’s why we do not know the extent of these problems across our country.”

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Health

‘Postcode lottery’ concerns over fertility treatment

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COUPLES seeking fertility treatment in Wales face a postcode lottery in terms of access to services, a Senedd Member warned.

James Evans, the Conservatives’ shadow health secretary, said the eligibility criteria for NHS-funded fertility treatments varies across the country.

Mr Evans called for the Welsh Government to standardise the criteria to make sure everyone has equal access to treatment and provide people with greater choice.

He said: “There are notable differences in the fertility treatments offered across different health boards and patients often lack autonomy to choose their preferred treatment centre.”

Mr Evans raised the example of ICSI, a treatment for men with infertility, during health questions in the Senedd on February 12.

He said: “For those people with low sperm counts, that is the only way in which they can actually access fertility treatments but some centres don’t do that.”

Peter Fox cautioned that male infertility issues are often overlooked despite studies showing that male factors contribute to 30% to 50% of cases in Wales.

He added: “When males are diagnosed… they’re often left in the dark with no support offered to them because most of the treatment services are focused toward the women.

“A lot of those men are left feeling frustrated – they feel shame, they feel anger – because they don’t feel like they get the mental support needed to get through that time in their lives.”

Standing in for health secretary Jeremy Miles, who was ill, Sarah Murphy, the mental health minister, said one in six couples will struggle with infertility.

She explained that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority regulates the NHS and private sector, setting out the treatments and procedures available.

Raising commissioning policy on fertility services, Ms Murphy stressed: “I think it’s really important to emphasise, though, that this is a specialist service.

Labour MS Sarah Murphy speaking in the Senedd
Sarah Murphy, minister for mental health and wellbeing

“It is not something that is provided across every health board.”

Ms Murphy pointed to services provided in clinics in Cardiff and Swansea, adding: “I understand completely that there will be people out there where this is not ideal, I do.”

She told the Senedd: “There absolutely shouldn’t be any shame or stigma around this – it’s not as uncommon as maybe people think.”

Plaid Cymru MS Mabon ap Gwynfor
Plaid Cymru MS Mabon ap Gwynfor

Mabon ap Gwynfor, Plaid Cymru’s shadow health secretary, warned of high levels of homelessness, mental health issues and financial insecurity among unpaid carers.

He said only 6% of unpaid carers were able to access personal needs assessments during 2024 despite a right to one being enshrined in Welsh law a decade ago.

Mr ap Gwynfor raised concerns about a “chronic lack of capacity” to conduct assessments, with councils facing spending pressures of £559m in 2025/26.

Dawn Bowden, the Welsh Government’s social care minister, recognised the picture, saying: “This is something that I hear consistently from unpaid carers … and carers’ organisations.”

Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney MS Dawn Bowden
Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney MS Dawn Bowden

Ms Bowden added: “I want to reassure you, Mabon, that we know we are nowhere near where we need to be with this and this is very much a priority piece of work.”

Plaid Cymru’s Sioned Williams said one in three women will have an abortion in their lives as she criticised a lack of services within Wales despite warnings since 2018.

She told the Senedd that nowhere in Wales offers surgical termination beyond 16 weeks nor any type of abortion after 20 weeks.

Ms Williams said: “If a woman needs access to abortion services beyond this up to the legal limit of 24 weeks, they must travel out of Wales for treatment, usually to Liverpool or London.

Plaid Cymru's shadow social justice minister, Sioned Williams
Plaid Cymru’s shadow social justice minister, Sioned Williams

“Although abortions at later gestations account for only 2% of all abortions, the women who require them are some of society’s most vulnerable.”

Ms Murphy pointed to the ten-year women’s health plan, adding that she has sought to move the issue up the agenda with work on a specialist abortion service under way.

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Health

Ultra-processed foods ‘fuelling public health emergency’

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SENEDD Members warned of a public health emergency due to the dominance of ultra-processed food in people’s diets. 

Labour’s Jenny Rathbone led a debate on a cross-party motion which was co-submitted by the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru.

She told the Senedd: “The food industry spends billions promoting our disastrous diets and we have to use the power of community to fight back.”

Ms Rathbone warned: “There’s no time to lose. The ever-escalating diabetes epidemic is already devouring 17% of the NHS budget.

“The levels of malnutrition among hospital patients are prolonging patient stays, and the main driver of early death and chronic illness is not smoking but our obesogenic diets.”

The Conservatives’ Peter Fox introduced an ultimately unsuccessful bill on sustainable production and food security in 2021.

“We don’t need data to show that things are getting worse,” said Mr Fox, a farmer and former council leader. “It’s clearly evident all around us.

“We see growing levels of obesity across our population and, worryingly, a significant rise in childhood obesity leading to serious health-related issues, such as childhood diabetes.”

During the February 12 debate, Plaid Cŷmru’s Llyr Gruffydd warned that too many people in Wales struggle to access fresh, healthy and affordable food.

He urged ministers to make greater use of public procurement to improve food in schools, hospitals and care homes while supporting Welsh producers.

Labour’s Lee Waters broadly agreed, telling the Senedd that only about 6% of fruit and veg used by the Welsh public sector is grown in Wales.

He said: “What’s stopping us from supporting Welsh farmers and buying local? Well, we don’t grow enough veg for a start, so there’s an opportunity for farmers to embrace horticulture to create new sources of income.”

But the former minister stressed the need to influence the private sector, with the value of all public food procurement equivalent to the annual turnover of one big supermarket.

Warning of a public health emergency, Alun Davies, a fellow Labour backbencher, urged the Welsh Government to put food centre stage.

He said: “I think it’s no exaggeration to say that obesity is an absolute national emergency and it’s not a national emergency that is an act of God; it’s an act of capitalism.”

Huw Irranca-Davies said the Welsh Government’s community food strategy would be published as soon as possible as he pointed to spending on local food partnerships.

The Deputy First Minister, who is responsible for food policy, described the food sector as a real success story employing 228,000 people or 17% of Wales’s workforce.

Ms Rathbone argued the community food strategy will be insufficient, warning a lack of follow through and rigorous execution has left Wales a very pale imitation of Scotland.

She said: “France and Italy would never have allowed their children to be sold the second-class food that is being served in our schools today.

“And I want to see the commitment to actually ban ultra-processed food from all public procurement – that is what we need to work towards.

“We can’t achieve it overnight but we need to set a date and do it.”

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