Vaughan Gething: a new leader for Wales
Former minister for the economy tasked with revitalising struggling country after being elected First Minister

In other countries, it would be remarkable, said Fraser Nelson in The Spectator: last week, Vaughan Gething won the election to become the new First Minister of Wales – which will make him the first black leader of any European government.
But here, "having a non-white leader" is no longer remarkable, thanks to Rishi Sunak in London and Humza Yousaf in Edinburgh having already achieved historic firsts.
'How much can change in a lifetime'
In a week in which MP Diane Abbott was denied the chance to speak in Parliament during a debate about racism against her, it can hardly be said that the struggle for inclusion is over, said Sunder Katwala in The Guardian; but Gething's win shows "how much can change in a lifetime". When he arrived in the UK aged two, in 1976, having been born in Zambia to a Welsh father and a Zambian mother, there wasn't a single non-white MP in the House of Commons.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From that point of view, his win is a "cause for celebration", said Richard Wyn Jones in the same paper; but his victory in the Labour race to replace Mark Drakeford has caused deep unease in his party. He beat his rival Jeremy Miles with just 51.7% of the vote, which was secured via a combination of "Old Labour-style backroom machinations" – to ensure him the support of all the most powerful unions – and a "New Labour-style willingness" to accept a campaign donation that many consider badly tainted. Gething was given £200,000 (a vast sum set against total spending) by a firm run by a man who has been convicted of illegal waste dumping, and on whose behalf he had earlier been accused of lobbying.
'Gething's election will prove a turning point'
Of course, he has no wider mandate, said Jawad Iqbal in The Spectator: only 100,000 people were eligible to vote in the contest; turnout was just 16.1%. He shares that with Sunak and Yousaf, and like them, he takes over at a time of growing public dissatisfaction with those in power, and at the "fag end of a long period of government by their respective parties".
Labour has run Wales since 1999, and its recent record is one of economic decline and failing public services. NHS waiting lists are longer in Wales than in England; Welsh schools' results in Pisa tests recently fell to their lowest-ever level. As a long-serving minister, Gething is implicated in this, and has no credible plans for changing it. Soon, he won't even be able to blame the Tory Government in London for Wales's problems, said Henry Hill on UnHerd; nor is he likely to pick fights with a Labour one, as he is widely seen as Keir Starmer's man. Labour's grip on Wales is tight; but, just possibly, Gething's election will prove a turning point.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
September 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include court-approved racial profiling and America's moral compass
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashion
In the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Crossword: September 13, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Kim Jong Un’s triumph: the rise and rise of North Korea’s dictator
In the Spotlight North Korean leader has strengthened ties with Russia and China, and recently revealed his ‘respected child’ to the world
-
The runners and riders for the Labour deputy leadership
The Explainer Race to replace Angela Rayner likely to come down to Starmer loyalist vs. soft-left MP supported by backbenchers and unions
-
Jeffrey Epstein's secrets
Feature Six years after his death, conspiracy theories still swirl around the sex trafficker. Why?
-
Voting: Trump's ominous war on mail ballots
Feature Donald Trump wants to sign an executive order banning mail-in ballots for the 2026 midterms
-
Trump threatens critics with federal charges
Feature Days after FBI agents raided John Bolton's home, Trump threatened legal action against Chris Christie
-
How should Keir Starmer right the Labour ship?
Today's Big Question Rightward shift on immigration and welfare not the answer to 'haemorrhaging of hope, trust and electoral support'
-
Epstein files: Maxwell courts a pardon
Feature A new prison transcript shows Ghislaine Maxwell praising Trump as 'a gentleman' while denying his involvement in the Epstein scandal
-
Pentagon readies military deployment in Chicago
Feature The Pentagon is preparing to deploy thousands of Illinois National Guard members to Chicago after Trump threatened to send troops into other major cities