Vaughan Gething made history on Wednesday by being elected as the first Black leader of a government in the United Kingdom. The Welsh parliament in Cardiff voted Gething as the first minister of Wales, following his recent victory in the leadership contest of the governing Labour Party. Securing 27 out of 51 votes in the Senedd, where Labour holds the majority, Gething expressed his pride in leading Wales as the first nation in Europe to be led by a Black individual.
In his address to lawmakers, Gething acknowledged the significance of his appointment, emphasizing the importance of celebrating diversity and unity within the country. Pending approval by King Charles III, Gething is set to be sworn in as the new first minister of Wales.
With Gething's election, three out of the four governments in the U.K. now have nonwhite leaders. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, with Indian heritage, heads the U.K. government, while Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf, born to a Pakistani family in Britain, leads Scotland. In Northern Ireland, Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly jointly hold leadership positions, marking a historic moment with no white male heads of government in the U.K.
Wales, one of the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom, operates under its own administration in areas such as education and health, while the British government in London oversees defense and foreign affairs. Gething, who previously served as Wales’ health minister during the COVID-19 pandemic and currently holds the position of economy minister, faces challenges such as the closure of blast furnaces at Tata Steel's plant in Port Talbot, impacting thousands of jobs.
As Gething prepares to take the helm of the Welsh government, he aims to navigate the ongoing tensions with the Conservative administration in London and address environmental concerns that have sparked protests among farmers in Wales. Despite facing scrutiny over donations received from a recycling company with legal issues, Gething maintains that all contributions were transparently declared in accordance with electoral regulations.
