Chaos for Welsh government as Plaid Cymru collapses power-sharing deal with Welsh Labour, meaning Vaughan Gething could become the second First Minister forced out of power in a matter of weeks

Welsh Labour leader Vaughan Gething could become the second UK First Minister to be forced from power in a matter of weeks as he faces major challenges to his power.

Welsh nationalists Plaid Cymru today pulled out of their co-operation agreement in the Senedd that gives Mr Gething's administration a majority.

Plaid leader Rhun ap Iorwerth blamed a failure to implement parts of the deal and concerns over donations worth £200,000 received by Mr Gething for his leadership campaign from businessman David Neal, a convicted polluter who dumped waste on a conservation site. 

With the Welsh Labour majority wiped out the Welsh Tories announced they are likely to seek to seek a confidence vote in Mr Gething. Andrew RT Davies, the Conservative leader in the Senedd, said it was 'odds-on' they would try to force a vote.

Labour currently holds 30 of the 60 Senedd seats, meaning that any vote may have to be settled by the presiding officer, who holds a casting vote and has to back the status quo. 

The situation has strong echoes of that surrounding former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf, who resigned earlier this month after losing the support of the Scottish Greens.

Mr Gething is also at the centre of an internal Welsh Labour row, after firing a senior minister yesterday for leaking WhatApp messages suggesting he deliberately deleted evidence of his actions during the Covid pandemic.

Welsh nationalists Plaid Cymru today pulled out of their co-operation agreement in the Senedd that gives Mr Gething's administration a majority.

Plaid leader Rhun ap Iorwerth blamed a failure to implement parts of the deal and concerns over donations worth £200,000 received by Mr Gething for his leadership campaign from businessman David Neal, a convicted polluter who dumped waste on a conservation site.

Announcing the early end of the agreement, Mr ap Iorwerth said: 'I remain deeply concerned that the First Minister has failed to pay back the £200,000 donation to his leadership campaign from a company convicted of environmental offences, and believe it demonstrates a significant lack of judgment.

'Money left over has now been passed on to Keir Starmer's Labour Party. I am worried by the circumstances around the decision to sack a member of the Government this week relating to matters that should be in the public domain already.

'I am also concerned by the emerging approach of the Government in relation to some elements of the co-operation agreement, including the decision to delay action in supporting the poorest families in our communities, as evidenced most recently by the decision to delay Council Tax Reform.

'Plaid Cymru will move onwards with a clear and continued commitment to scrutinising Labour's record, and with a renewed determination to put forward bold ideas which match the people of Wales's ambitions for our country.'

Mr Gething said he was disappointed about the end of the agreement, suggesting Plaid Cymru 'has decided to walk away from their opportunity to deliver for the people of Wales'.

The First Minister said: 'The co-operation agreement was about mature politics, working together on areas where we agree. While it was always a time-limited agreement, we are disappointed Plaid Cymru has decided to walk away from their opportunity to deliver for the people of Wales.'

The situation has strong echoes of that surrounding former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf, who resigned earlier this month after losing the support of the Scottish Greens.

Mr Gething said he had 'no alternative' but to fire Hannah Blythyn, Minister for Social Partnership, accusing her of leaks to the media following a 'recent disclosure of communication'.

Mr Davies said:  'The end of Labour and Plaid Cymru's coalition is simply an attempt to save face.

'Together, Labour and Plaid have worked together to divert resources away from the people's priorities and towards vanity projects like putting more Senedd Members in Cardiff Bay, and have been hand in glove on policies like the destructive sustainable farming scheme and 20mph.

'This move from Plaid means nothing and the Welsh public won't be fooled.'

Yesterday Mr Gething said he had 'no alternative' but to fire Hannah Blythyn, Minister for Social Partnership, accusing her of leaks to the media following a 'recent disclosure of communication'.

But she hit back, saying she was 'deeply shocked' at being booted out and denying any involvement.

Mr Gething has been under pressure since messages emerged that appeared to contradict his evidence to the official Covid-19 Inquiry.

As the the health minister during the pandemic, he told the inquiry in March that his lost WhatsApp messages were not deleted by him but by the Senedd's IT team during a security rebuild.

He said the lost information was a 'real embarrassment' but a message leaked to the Nation.Cymru news website casts doubt on Mr Gething's version of events.

But In a message posted to a ministerial group chat on August 17, 2020, Mr Gething apparently wrote: '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.'