The first minister, Vaughan Gething, is facing fresh turmoil after Plaid Cymru ended its cooperation agreement with the Labour-led government in Wales.
Rhun ap Iorwerth, the Plaid leader, said he was deeply concerned that Gething had refused to hand back a £200,000 donation for his successful leadership campaign from a company whose owner was convicted of environmental crimes.
The cooperation agreement, under which Labour and Plaid work together, was due to conclude at the end of the year but ap Iorwerth announced on Friday it would end immediately. The decision will make it harder for the government to operate as it does not have an overall majority in the Senedd.
Ap Iorwerth also expressed concern that Gething this week sacked a minister after the leaking of an embarrassing phone message from the time of the pandemic when Gething was the Welsh health minister.
He said: “I remain deeply concerned that the first minister has failed to pay back the £200,000 donation to his leadership campaign and believe it demonstrates a significant lack of judgment. Money left over has now been passed on to Keir Starmer’s Labour party.”
The issue has blighted the first two months of Gething’s leadership and on Thursday he came under more pressure after sacking the minister for social partnership, Hannah Blythyn. The dismissal followed the leaking of an exchange with fellow Labour members from the time of the pandemic when Gething said he was going to delete iMessages.
Gething has said the messages were not about government business but related to internal discussions within the Senedd Labour group. Blythyn has denied leaking them.
Ap Iorwerth suggested the messages should have been handed over to the Covid inquiry. “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.”
The cooperation agreement has resulted in policies such as providing free school meals for all primary school pupils, taking radical action to address the housing crisis, and taking steps to safeguard the Welsh language.
Ap Iorwerth said: “I am proud of the way in which the agreement demonstrated a new way of doing politics which focused on areas of policy which impact people’s everyday lives.”
He said he had also become concerned about “the emerging approach of the government” to matters including delaying council tax reform, which he said could affect the poorest families.
Gething said: “The cooperation 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.”
