Wales' economy minister has said he has no sympathy for Boris Johnson as he continues to face questions about parties at Downing Street.
Earlier in the pandemic, Vaughan Gething - then health minister - was photographed seated and eating chips at a point people could only exercise within the rules. He maintained he had not broken any rules but stopped to allow his young son to eat, while his family were carrying out their daily exercise.
In today's Welsh Government press conference, we asked if, given his own experiences of facing allegations he had breached Covid rules, whether he felt any sympathy for the prime minister.
Mr Gething replied: "I'm not sympathetic to Boris Johnson at all" saying he has "contempt for the rules", and added: "If the First Minister of Wales had gone out onto the grass outside Cathays Park with his elderflower cordial to meet 30 Welsh Government workers who are having drinks, Andrew RT Davies and the Welsh Tories would have been purple with rage."
Mr Gething said: "I know what you're referring to. And of course, having gone out for a daily exercise with my family and then having someone tried to sell a story with a picture of me in a way that simply wasn't honest. That was hard. But I should say that I was comforted by the fact that I got lots of messages of support including from families who were there at the time, and recognised me including people who are direct political opponents as well, I should say they were there nevertheless.
"And that's just an entirely different situation where the Prime Minister finds himself. The culture within Downing Street where he is directly responsible. The revelations, the fact that he's admitted he really did attend a work events that he couldn't tell was actually a drinks party and if you think about had that been here in Wales and the First Minister of Wales had gone out onto the grass outside Cathays Park with his elderflower cordial to meet 30 Welsh Government workers who are having drinks, Andrew RT Davies and the Welsh Tories would have been purple with rage.
"No-one would have bought this ridiculous excuse about it being a drinks party. No-one would be fobbed off by the idea that you didn't need to account for what you were really doing until a civil servant who's ultimately responsible to you has done a report.
"It's not just one incident, it's that the Prime Minister appears to have genuine contempt for the rules as far as they apply to him while issuing strictures as his other ministers have done that everyone must obey the rules well, we all did our part.
The reason we're in this position today where our case rates are significantly lower than in England are because we did all play our part and I just wish there was a sense of decency and accountability."
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