FM no-confidence vote more likely than not - Tory

It is "odds on" that a no-confidence motion to force the first minister's resignation, will be brought forward by opposition members in the Senedd following recent events, the Conservative Senedd leader has said. The comments, by Andrew RT Davies, were in response to Vaughan Gething's sacking of a minister on Thursday alleging she leaked text messages to the media, which she denies. It also follows months of turmoil in Welsh Labour over controversial donations to Mr Gething's leadership campaign. Mr Davies said his party "will have conversations with other parties" in Cardiff Bay to see the level of support for a no-confidence motion. Mr Gething dismissed his minister for social partnership, Hannah Blythyn, after a story, originally published by Nation.Cymru, revealed the Welsh Labour leader told ministers he was deleting messages from a pandemic-era group chat. After her departure, Ms Blythyn said she "did not, nor have I ever, leaked anything".On the same day it emerged that Mr Gething will be giving £31,000 to Labour from his campaign funds, having spent most of the £250,000 he was gifted, including £200,000 from a company owned by a man previously convicted of environmental offences. On Friday, Mr Gething announced the appointment of Bridgend MS Sarah Murphy as Ms Blythyn's replacement. A few hours earlier, Mr Davies told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast that the first minister was demonstrating an "inability to provide the answers to address the questions that are legitimately put to him around the donations, around the messages and around now this sacking". He needed to produce evidence to support his sacking of Ms Blythyn, said the Conservative MS, "as a matter of urgency, restore confidence back in the government and get on with the job of delivering for the people of Wales". "If he can't answer those questions and deliver that then clearly he needs to go." He added: "I would say that it's odds on that motion of no-confidence would come forward, and then members will have the ability to express their confidence, or not, in Vaughan Gething." Asked about the sacking, and whether his government was split, in an ITV Wales interview on Thursday, the first minister said: "Ministers need to be able to trust each other, to share information freely and frankly," he said. "My team of ministers are united about the reality of where we are and what we've had to do, and the fact that there are priorities for all of us in doing the things that matter to the people of Wales." Any motion of no confidence is not expected to be put forward for some weeks, due to procedural and logistical issues. Labour has 30 of the 60 members in the Senedd chamber, meaning a Labour member would need to abstain for a no-confidence vote to pass.