Vaughan Gething: Jeremy Miles could run for Wales First Minister

Since the results, he has moved from education minister to economy secretary under the new prime minister.

He had refused to comment on a £200,000 donation from a controversial waste management company, whose owner had previous convictions for environmental offences, during the campaign itself – but a month later he said he would not have accepted the money.

On Monday, a day before his resignation, he repeatedly refused to support Mr Gething in an interview.

In his letter to the Prime Minister explaining his reasons for resigning, Mr Miles said: “The events of the last few months, including your loss of the confidence vote in the Senedd, have been incredibly painful.

“This has become a distraction from the important work of the Welsh Government and is damaging to our party.”

Dates for the competition have not yet been set, although Mr Gething said his replacement would be installed by the autumn.

But two supporters of the First Minister told BBC Wales that Mr Miles’ involvement in Mr Gething’s forced departure made him unfit to take over.

One Gething supporter suggested they would rather “die in a ditch” than have Mr Miles as party leader.

They said they would like to see Eluned Morgan run, saying she was a communicator who could connect the party with traditional Labour supporters.

Another supporter said Mr Miles could not unite the party and there was “a very strong feeling that the person associated with a bloody knife cannot claim the crown”.

They added: “I’m really concerned about what this says to the world, to people in the UK and especially in Wales who are not white.

“It seems like a group of people pulled out daggers and stabbed Vaughan without giving him a chance. I find that really difficult to deal with.”

In response, one supporter of Mr Miles said: “The people who did their best to block Jeremy last time are up to their old tricks again it seems. Let the members decide.”

Mr Miles received more nominations from Labour Senedd members than Mr Gething last year, with 16 to Mr Gething’s ten.

Another Miles supporter said it was not “believable” that Mr Gething would continue in office throughout the summer because he no longer had the support “of the group, the cabinet or the Senedd”.

“This cannot be ignored and important decisions continue to be taken under the leadership of a set of caretaker ministers as if the political geography had not changed.”

By Cemlyn Davies, Political Correspondent

After coming so close four months ago, it is no surprise that Jeremy Miles is considered “likely” to run again to become Welsh Labour leader.

But he knows that some of Vaughan Gething’s staunch allies in the Labour group in the Senedd, who believe Mr Miles played a part in their man’s downfall, are very much opposed to him becoming leader.

However, as long as enough Labour MPs support him (and most did last time), his opponents will not be able to stop him from being on the ballot paper.

It would then be up to the members to decide whether he should lead the party.

In the meantime, I hear conflicting accounts of the sequence of events that ultimately led Mr Gething to decide to resign.

Sources tell me that three of the cabinet members who resigned on Tuesday morning – including Mr Miles – tried to meet Mr Gething beforehand in the hope that their resignations could be avoided, but he would not see them.

However, an adviser to the prime minister said no request for a meeting had been made.

Speaking on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Mark Drakeford said some of the “decisions” made by Mr Gething “haunt” him.

“They lived with him over the weeks and months that passed and he was never able to shake off those initial decisions.

“Ultimately, I think he made a very difficult decision, but the right one, which was that he was never going to get to a point where he could focus on the things he wanted to do in the way he wanted to do them, without those stories always being the filter through which the news of his prime ministry was going to be reported.”

Mr Drakeford said there should be a contest for the party leadership and he was “opposed to a coronation”.

He added: “I think it can be a cathartic experience for the Labour Party, and I think members of the public will benefit from being able to see the candidates who might be Labour’s candidate for leader of the party.”

There has been talk of having a caretaker prime minister over the summer, but Mr Drakeford said Mr Gething should be allowed to stay in post to avoid “another change”.

Asked about this, he said he would “absolutely not” like the interim position.

Mr Irranca-Davies did not rule out running, but said it was “too early to speculate”.

Without naming any individuals, political consultant Cathy Owens said it would be difficult for someone “involved in some shenanigans” and “acrimony” to be leader of the Welsh Labour party.

Ms Owens, who advised former prime minister Rhodri Morgan, said Labour needed a candidate for Marks & Spencer because “it’s not anyone’s favourite store” but no one hates it.

She said the next leader will have to “unify his party while negotiating with the opposition.”

Mr Michael, who led the Labour administration in the Welsh Assembly from 1999 to 2000, told BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight programme: “A lot of people are very angry and frustrated that Vaughan has actually been forced out.”

Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, said a caretaker cabinet needed to be appointed because people “rightly want to know how the portfolio responsibilities of these ministers will be carried out while a new first minister is selected”.

Plaid Cymru claimed Labour was now “rudderless” and repeated calls for a Senedd election.

Llyr Gruffydd of the Plaid said: “Today is the last day of the Parliament before the summer recess. The First Minister must come to the Senedd and set out his plans to ensure at least a functioning government.

In Wednesday’s cabinet reshuffle, Jack Sargeant joined the government for the first time as minister for social partnership.

Ken Skates, who is already Transport Secretary, will take on Jeremy Miles’ former portfolio as Economy Secretary as an additional responsibility.

Jayne Bryant, of Newport West MS, will be promoted to cabinet secretary for local government and housing.

Sarah Murphy will be appointed Minister of Mental Health and Early Childhood.

Jane Hutt will now serve as chief whip, as well as cabinet secretary for culture and social justice.

Mick Antoniw’s position as general counsel has not yet been replaced.

Mr Gething will retain control of discussions with Tata Steel, he said.

On Tuesday, Mr Gething announced he was stepping down as prime minister and that a new leader would be in place in the autumn.

The move comes after four cabinet members all simultaneously resigned from their posts and asked him to do the same.

He will continue to lead the Welsh government until his successor is chosen.

In his resignation speech, Mr Gething denied any wrongdoing, saying: “I regret that the burden of proof is no longer a prominent part of the language of our politics.

“In 11 years as a minister, I have never made a decision for personal gain.

“I have never abused or misused my ministerial responsibilities.”

Mr Michael, who resigned from his most senior Labour role in Wales in 2000, said he was a friend of Mr Gething and had spoken to him on Tuesday.

“He is very sad and regrets very much that he did not receive the support he needed,” he said.

Mr Michael said there were “good people in the Senedd” who could be leadership candidates, including Ms Morgan and Mr Irranca-Davies.

The Welsh Labour Party’s governing body will meet this weekend and is expected to set out a timetable for the leadership campaign.