In a statement Vaughan Gething makes no apology for the events of the last few months, or for his campaign donations.

He says he had hoped that over the summer, "rebuilding and renewal could take place under my leadership".

"I recognise now that this is not possible," he says.

He says it has been the most difficult time "for me and my family".

"A growing assertion that some kind of wrongdoing has taken place has been pernicious, politically motivated and patently untrue," he says.

"In 11 years as a minister, I have never ever made a decision for personal gain. I have never ever misused or abused my ministerial responsibilities.

"My integrity matters. I have not compromised it.

"I regret that the burden of proof is no longer an important commodity in the language of our politics. I do hope that can change.

"To those in Wales who look like me - many of whom I know feel personally bruised and worried by this moment, I know that our country can be better. I know that cannot happen without us."

He says he will discuss a timetable for the election of a new leader.

Vaughan Gething says he is resigning as Welsh Labour leader, and first minister of Wales.

Image source, Reuters

December 2023: Mark Drakeford announces he is quitting as first minister, prompting leadership campaign. Vaughan Gething and Jeremy Miles confirm candidacy.

February 2024: Controversy emerges over donations to Gething, who received £200,000 from Dauson Environmental Group, owned by David John Neal who was given suspended sentences in 2013 and 2017 for waste offences.

March: Gething beats Jeremy Miles and wins Welsh Labour leadership contest

April: Jeremy Miles tells BBC Wales he would not have taken the donations from Dauson Environmental Group.

May: After reports Vaughan Gething told a group chat in 2020 he was deleting messages, Gething sacks one of his ministers. Plaid Cymru co-operation deal collapses.

June: Gething loses no-confidence vote after two of his Labour Senedd members are off sick

July: Hannah Blythyn denies she was the source of the group chat story. Gething says the evidence it came from her phone was straightforward. The website that broke the story denied she was the source.

Image source, Getty Images

Just yesterday, one of the four Welsh government cabinet members who have quit, repeatedly failed to back Vaughan Gething.

Jeremy Miles, who has stood down as economy secretary, was narrowly beaten by Gething in the race to be Welsh Labour leader in March.

Asked by ITV Wales if Gething was the best man to lead the country, Miles said he would not give a "running commentary".

He failed to back the first minister's leadership in answers to other, similar questions and said it had “obviously been a very difficult number of weeks”.

Jane Dodds MS, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, echoes calls that Vaughan Gething “must resign”.

“We cannot afford to allow internal fighting in Welsh Labour to distract us any longer from the range of serious issues facing our country,” she says.

“The Welsh people are sick and tired of constant political scandals and broken promises, they want to see a political system that works for them.”

David Deans
BBC Wales politics reporter

The prospect of a leadership challenge to Vaughan Gething had been the subject of gossip in the Senedd for weeks.

Late during the election campaign a pro-Gething source approached me with an alleged date for when they had heard it might take place.

They had thought it might come on what was last Sunday - two days off. Another had said to me that they thought a challenge could come after the King's visit, which took place last Thursday.

How much of that speculation was common sense? A challenge during the election campaign itself was unlikely, and there was only a few weeks left of the Senedd term after the election campaign.

In any case, Mick Antoniw, the counsel general, said on X, external that it was a "lie" that Gething's team were told the date of today's co-ordinated resignations three weeks ago.

Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth says the “disrepute” of Welsh politics is as much the fault of the ministers resigning today as the first minister himself.

“Vaughan Gething has led a government of chaos and put his own self-interest before the interests of the people of Wales,” he says.

“For months, the First Minister’s poor judgement, aversion to scrutiny and ‘do nothing’ approach to governing has undermined the office of First Minister and brought Welsh politics into disrepute.”

He adds: “Seldom have heads of government in a democracy disregarded the will of its legislature by carrying on despite losing a vote of confidence.

“The Labour party has thrown its weight behind Vaughan Gething and Keir Starmer has acted as his main cheerleader.

"The ministers who resigned today are equally culpable, they should have acted far sooner than their eleventh-hour intervention when it was a case of one bad headline too many.”

He says people in Wales are “losing faith in Labour’s ability to govern Wales”.

“Labour is out of ideas and running out of road with the public.”

Image source, Getty Images

Lesley Griffiths, cabinet secretary for culture and social justice, also posted her resignation letter to X, external.

"This is one of the most challenging and deeply upsetting letters I have felt compelled to write in my entire career," she said.

She said she had discussed with Gething on Monday her concerns "about the circumstances surrounding certain campaign donations you received; the outcome of the vote of no confidence; and the sacking of a ministerial colleague for leaking when no formal leak inquiry had taken place".

"In addition, I find it deeply distressing, from both personal and professional perspectives, to see the negative impact all of this has had on relationships between longstanding colleagues and, in many cases, close friends."

"I have reached the conclusion that we simply will not be able to put things back on track under your leadership, leaving me with only one realistic option at this point."

Image source, Getty Images

Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservative group in the Senedd, says today is a “day of shame for Labour” in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, external.

He adds: “The self indulgence we’ve seen throughout Vaughan Gething’s leadership has resulted in the breakdown of governance in Wales.

“But ministers like Jeremy Miles, who served in Gething’s cabinet, are equally culpable. Wales will remember.”

Image source, Labour Party

Julie James, cabinet secretary for housing and local government, says the past few months have "seemed to me to be a real rollercoaster".

"On the one hand, serious pride in your truly historic election; of agreeing to serve in your government and being determined to do my very best in that role; and the great UK election result," she says.

"On the other hand, the serious issues over your campaign donations; the real mistakes in the handling of those and other issues, which led up to your loss of the confidence vote in the Senedd and the continuing and seemingly never-ending series of related issues that have followed.

"In these circumstances, I see no way to agreeing a budget nor how we can achieve our legislative ambitions. In particular, given recent conversations with cabinet colleagues, I can see no real route to agreeing the passage of the radical, transformational homelessness legislation which will obviously need cross party support.

"This cannot be what you wanted and must have caused you and your family a lot of pain and I think has visibly caused huge divisions in the group and damaged both the country and the party I think it also now threatens the continued existence of the devolution journey itself.

"We must begin to repair this damage immediately and I am extremely sorry to tell you that I do not think you are capable of being the leader who can lead us through that I had asked you, in the interests of the country and the party to stand down immediately."

Planned attempt to force first minister's resignationpublished at 10:24 British Summer Time 16 July

10:24 BST 16 July

Vaughan Roderick
BBC Welsh affairs editor

The simultaneous resignations by four senior ministers is clearly a planned attempt to force the resignation of the first minister before the Senedd breaks for the summer recess.

It’s understood that the departing ministers spoke to Vaughan Gething yesterday to explain their unhappiness over donations Gething accepted during his leadership campaign and the sacking of their former cabinet colleague, Hannah Blythyn. Their decision to resign indicates Gething rebuffed suggestions he should go quietly.

The situation is reminiscent of the mass ministerial resignations that doomed Boris Johnson’s administration and, like Johnson, Gething may attempt to tough things out.

Gething continues to enjoy strong support from some Labour Senedd members and MPs but it’s difficult to see how the Labour group in the Senedd could function effectively under his leadership.

Image source, Reuters

Vaughan Gething is the first minister of Wales - he is the leader of the Labour Party in Wales.

Gething made history when he became the first black leader of any nation in Europe when he won the party's leadership contest in March.

He leads the Welsh government, which runs the country's health service, as well as the education system and councils.

Since he was elected he has been dogged by questions over £200,000 he received for his leadership campaign from a company owned by a man previously convicted of environmental offences.

He has also faced questions over a leaked message that showed him telling other ministers in 2020 that he was deleting texts from a group chat - something he denied actually doing.

His decision to sack a minister over the leak has added to the controversy. Hannah Blythyn denied being the source of the story, but Gething said the evidence that the messages came from her phone were straightforward.

You can read more here.

Mick Antoniw, the counsel general, wrote in a post on X, external, formerly known as Twitter: "With great sadness I am resigning as counsel general from the Welsh government.

"I must advise you that I do not believe you can continue as first minister. Wales needs confident and stable government. I do not believe you are capable of delivering that.

"You have lost a vote of confidence in the Senedd. That is something I regard as being of major constitutional importance."

He says Gething cannot command a majority and would be unable to enter into agreements with opposition members to pass a budget.

"For all intents and purposes the Senedd is rudderless," he adds.

David Deans
BBC Wales politics reporter

Economy Secretary Jeremy Miles had refused to back Vaughan Gething in an interview with ITV on Monday.

The former Welsh Labour leadership contest rival to Gething said in a letter posted to X, external: "The events of the last few months including your loss of the confidence vote in the Senedd have been incredibly painful.

"This has become a distraction from the important work of the Welsh government and is damaging our party.

"I can't see any way forward for us which allows us to get on with job we are elected to do, without you standing down."

David Deans
BBC Wales politics reporter

Hello and welcome to our live coverage as four members of the Welsh Labour government's cabinet have resigned at the same time, calling for Vaughan Gething to go.

Three ministers - Jeremy Miles, Lesley Griffiths and Julie James - and the government's top legal adviser - counsel general Mick Antoniw - all announced their resignations on X, formerly known as Twitter.

It follows months of rows since Gething was installed in March, including a week of drama over a sacked minister, complaints over Gething's campaign donations and a lost confidence vote.