Labour Party Vaughan Gething has resigned as Welsh first minister due to his involvement in an illegal donations scandal for his campaign. Gething, 50 years old and born in Zambia, had taken office in March and was the first black leader in a national or regional European government.
His resignation comes less than two weeks after the arrival of Labour leader Keir Starmer, who defended him during the recent election campaign and who may have had a direct influence on his resignation.
Gething was accused of accepting a donation of £200,000 (¤238,000) for his campaign from millionaire David Neal, director of Resources Management UK Ltd, fined in the past for violations of environmental laws and waste management in Wales.
Prior to the election campaign, the Conservative Party pushed for a vote of no confidence that was supported by the majority in the Welsh Assembly, although Gething decided to stay in his position and deny his involvement in the scandal.
"Having been elected in March, I thought I would take the summer as a period of reflection to determine if a renewal of my leadership was possible," Gething wrote in his resignation letter. "I now recognize that it will not be possible."
Vaughan Gething had succeeded veteran Mark Drakeford in the position. His resignation opens a new crisis in British politics and will lead to a new leadership contest within the Welsh Labour Party.