FM says he ‘never tried to claim’ sacked minister was direct source of leak

  • First Minister Vaughan Gething appeared before the scrutiny committee this afternoon.

The First Minister has insisted that leaked messages to the media came from former social partnership minister Hannah Blythyn’s phone but said he has “never tried to claim” she was the direct source.

In a heated exchange at the Senedd’s Scrutiny Committee, Vaughan Gething defended his decision to sack the former minister, insisting that evidence showed messages given to Nation.Cymru came from her phone.

However, he insisted he has never tried to claim Ms Blythyn directly contacted the media herself.

Ms Blythyn was removed from the Welsh Government in May, after messages from the Covid pandemic were leaked to the website.

The leaked messages showed Mr Gething claiming he would delete all correspondence from an iMessage group of Welsh ministers.

Mr Gething said the photograph being given to a journalist in May “directly affects trust within the government”. Credit: Senedd TV

Ms Blythyn said this week in the Senedd that she could “look all my colleagues who sit on these benches in the eye” and say she had not leaked to the media.

On Thursday, Nation.Cymru too the unusual action of revealing Ms Blythyn was not the source of the leak which triggered her sacking.

After leaving Parc Y Scarlets rugby stadium in Llanelli, where the Scrutiny Committee, Mr Gething was questioned by reporters.

When asked whether he or Ms Blythyn were telling the truth, given the differing accounts, the first minister replied: "I have been completely up front and honest as I have told you on more than one occasion".

When asked if he would be remaining in his post, Mr Gething said: "Of course".

  • The first minister was questioned by reporters following the Scrutiny Committee.

Speaking at the Scrutiny Committee meeting, the First Minister said: “When it comes to the evidence, there’s no inconsistency in what I said.

“I never tried to claim that Hannah Blythyn directly contacted Nation Cymru.

“I’m very clear the evidence I had confirmed that a photograph of her phone was provided to Nation Cymru.

“Ministers are responsible for their own data.”

Mr Gething said the photograph being given to a journalist in May “directly affects trust within the government”.

The exchange between Mr Gething and the committee grew heated, with the First Minister shouting at Plaid Cymru’s Llyr Gruffydd to “let me finish” when he was questioned about whether he asked Ms Blythyn if authorities could check her devices to see if messages had been shared.

Mr Gething argued the question was “getting into the weeds” and said it was clear that the photograph “could only have come from one member”.

The First Minister has come under sustained attack in recent months for his decision to sack Ms Blythyn, and over a series of rows concerning donations he took while running to be Welsh Labour leader.

This led to the collapse of a co-operation agreement between his party and Plaid Cymru and he subsequently lost a non-binding vote of no confidence in the Senedd.

Mr Gething previously told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry that lost WhatsApp messages were not deleted by him, but by the Welsh Parliament’s IT team during a security rebuild.

He denied the leaked message contradicted the evidence he had given to the inquiry, adding that it did not relate to pandemic decision-making but “comments that colleagues make to and about each other”.

The exchange between Mr Gething and the committee grew heated, with the FM shouting at Plaid Cymru’s Llyr Gruffydd to “let me finish” Credit: Senedd TV

The First Minister faces a fresh vote next week, as the Welsh Conservatives have tabled a motion in the hopes of compelling him to publish the evidence he used to sack Ms Blythyn.

Following the scrutiny session, Plaid Cymru member Llyr Gruffydd MS said: “It was somewhat ironic that in the scrutiny session of the First Minister, Vaughan Gething did everything possible to avoid scrutiny.

“There remain two conflicting accounts relating to alleged leaked messages and the First Minister continues to side-step important questions. Why did he delete messages, contrary to Welsh government policy and why did he fail to provide messages to the UK Covid inquiry.

“The longer the First Minister is in denial about the scale of the scandal which surrounds him, the longer the people of Wales suffer by the impotency of his Labour government.”

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