First Minister would have 'no difficulty' answering questions about deleted messages

• First Minister Vaughan Gething spoke with ITV Wales' National Correspondent Rob Osborne.

First Minister Vaughan Gething says he'd be "relaxed" to face further questioning from the Covid-19 Inquiry, after evidence emerged appearing to contradict his claims he did not delete WhatsApp messages during the pandemic.

Questioned by opposition leaders in the Senedd, Mr Gething said a screenshot of messages had appeared on a news website "without context", adding that he'd be "entirely relaxed" for the message to be seen by the Inquiry.

"I have already asked the full unredacted screenshot is shared with the current inquiry."

"If they want to question me about it, I will have no difficulty at all and appearing before them and having the conversation."

Mr Gething, who was the health minister during the pandemic, told the inquiry in March that his lost messages were not deleted by him but by the Senedd’s IT team during a security rebuild.

He told the hearing that the lost information was a “real embarrassment”.

However, a message leaked to Nation.Cymru on Tuesday has cast doubt on Mr Gething’s version of events.

In a text message posted to the ministerial group chat on Monday August 17 2020, Mr Gething appears to have said: “I’m deleting the messages in this group.

“They can be captured in an FOI (Freedom of Information request) and I think we are in the right place on the choice being made.”

A spokesman for the UK Covid-19 Inquiry confirmed it has been made aware of the message and is now considering whether Mr Gething will need to provide further information.

He said: “These reports have been brought to the attention of the inquiry this morning.

“The inquiry is considering the information available and whether it is necessary to seek further evidence from Mr Gething.”

The context of the First Minister’s message is unclear and it is unknown whether it falls within the inquiry’s terms of reference.

Mr Gething was asked about the message during First Minister’s Questions on Tuesday afternoon.

Telling lies at a statutory public inquiry, such as the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, amounts to the criminal offence of perjury, which on conviction can lead to a prison sentence of up to seven years.

But when asked by Plaid Cymru leader Rhun Ap Iorweth if "he understood why people are asking if he committed perjury when giving that evidence under oath", Mr Gething said that was "an extraordinary accusation to make, absent of context or fact of what was happening at the time."

"The individual message related to a discussion within the Labour group and about how people do and don't talk to each other."

"This is actually about how we talk to each other and about each other, not about information that has been provided.

"I reject completely the suggestion that I have not been honest with the COVID inquiry.

"And I'd ask the member to think again about his accusation that I have committed perjury. That is a serious matter and not one that I think he should lightly make."

Earlier, the Conservative and Plaid Cymru opposition leaders called for the First Minister to be recalled to the inquiry to give further evidence.

Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: “The cloak and dagger decision-making in the Labour Welsh Government is clear to see.

“Decisions made in these WhatsApp groups have led to lives lost and businesses shut, so with evidence suggesting that the First Minister deliberately deleted important exchanges, it’s obvious why Labour has blocked an independent Wales-specific Covid inquiry.

“In light of this there is an even more compelling case for a Covid inquiry for Wales.”

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth MS said the revelation “strikes a devastating blow to those who lost loved ones” during the pandemic.

He said: “We all sought transparency but were told all was in the open for the UK inquiry to see. This undermines any belief that that is the case.

“It shows blatant disregard for honesty and transparency, further undermining trust in the Labour First Minister on the back of his donations scandal.

“The leaked message shows that the Welsh Labour Cabinet was complicit in allowing this deception. Baroness Hallett, as chair of the inquiry, should immediately recall Vaughan Gething to give clarity on what he said under oath.

“Vaughan Gething is running away from an independent investigation into a donation to his Labour leadership campaign but must not be allowed to dodge an investigation into this extremely serious matter.”

Mr Gething has come under sustained pressure in recent weeks, with repeated calls for an investigation into donations he received while running to be Welsh Labour leader.

Last week in the Senedd he survived a vote calling for an independent inquiry into the £200,000 donation he took from a man convicted of environmental offences.

Opposition groups have raised concerns that it could be a possible conflict of interest and breach of the ministerial code while members of his own benches have questioned his decision-making.

Former Labour minister Lee Waters went so far as to question his leader’s judgment in taking the money.

On Tuesday, Mr Gething revealed that he'd written to the chair of the standards committee asking for rules around donations to Senedd members to be updated in the wake of the row.

The First Minister also said he'd be asking the Welsh Government's Propriety and Ethics director to consider recommendations over conflicts of interest where an MS is also a Welsh Government minister.