David Deans
Political reporter, BBC Wales News

Image source, Welsh Parliament

The first minister has now responded on behalf of the government to the debate.

“I regret the motion because it is designed to question my integrity," he says.

“Like so many of you in this chamber, I have dedicated my adult life to public services and to Wales.

“Even in the midst of an election campaign, it does hurt deeply when my intentions are questioned."

He says he will "not shy away from scrutiny and challenge".

Mr Gething said that he and "so many people of colour have been traduced and vilified merely for raising concerns about how some of these debates have been handled".

He says the refusal of the Conservatives to pair with two Labour Senedd members who are ill "reflects poorly" on them.

"I will continue to put Wales first, first in thought, deed and ambition, as I serve and lead my country."

Vaughan Gething was earlier visibly emotional and seen in tears in the Senedd as Labour colleague Vikki Howells spoke of her support for him.

He was seen being comforted by the chief whip, Jane Hutt.

Image source, Welsh Parliament

Paul Davies, MS for Preseli Pembrokeshire, resigned as Welsh Conservative Senedd leader in 2021 after a row involving the drinking of alcohol in the Senedd when there was a ban on alcohol consumption in pubs.

A standards investigation later cleared him.

Mr Davies suggests Mr Gething should quit like he did.

"I stepped down as leader of the Welsh Conservatives in this place because it was the right thing to do.

"Even thought I hadn’t broken any laws, or rules, it was still the right thing to do."

He said the FM has taken money from a business "that has been allowed to make so many people’s lives miserable" – referring to the Withyhedge landfill site owned by Dauson Environmental Group.

The site has been the subject of complaints about the smell by local residents, and a BBC Wales programme has found it is subject of a criminal investigation.

"I did the right thing, now the first minister must also do the right thing," he said.

Image source, Welsh Parliament

A Conservative MS said the suggestions of racism were "insulting".

Natasha Asghar, who represents south Wales east, said it was a "trailblazing move" that Mr Gething became the first black leader of any European country.

"I cannot stress how disappointed I am to say the golden opportunity that you were given was completely wasted," she said.

"The suggestion that you are receiving this level of scrutiny because of your skin is quite frankly insulting."

A Labour MS has questioned whether Vaughan Gething's ethnicity has played a part in some of the criticism aimed at him.

Mr Gething is the first black leader of a European nation.

Hefin David, MS for Caerphilly, said: "I have a right to ask if his ethnicity has an influence on the motives of some of those outside the chamber, who seek to break him on the wheel.

"We cannot ignore that question."

"I think we're losing all reason," he says, warning the Senedd could fall if the Welsh government was brought down.

Tension in the chamberpublished at 16:31 British Summer Time 5 June

16:31 BST 5 June

Daniel Davies
Political correspondent, BBC Wales News

The first minister wiped away tears as his Labour colleague Vikki Howells spoke up on his behalf and denounced the Conservative motion as a “travesty”.

Vaughan Gething is having to sit there as opposition members take turns to criticise his judgement.

It’s creating a very tense atmosphere.

The emotion in the Senedd chamber is palpable up here in the public gallery.

Some contributions in support of Mr Gething have prompted applause from people watching in the gallery.

But the presiding officer has asked them to stop so the debate can continue.

Image source, Welsh Parliament

Plaid Cymru's Heledd Fychan, speaking about Vaughan Gething's donations from Dauson Environmental Group, said: "You must know deep down this is wrong, and you must regret accepting the money.

"It’s not too late to stop hiding behind the rules, and loophole in them. It is not too late to apologise.

"I genuinely regret that it has come to this."

Labour MS for Mid and West Wales, Joyce Watson, attacked the Conservatives for holding the vote on the same day as the D-Day commemorations.

She said the Conservatives would "not be forgiven" for causing the first minister to miss an event in Portsmouth.

"My father was involved in the D-Day landing. Before that he had been a prisoner of war for four years.

"What you’ve done today is put a focus here. You have prevented people like me being represented by the first minister down in Portsmouth."

Her speech is received by banging of the tables by Labour members.

Image source, Welsh Parliament

Image source, Welsh Parliament

Vaughan Gething was visibly emotional and in tears as Ms Howells spoke in his support.

He was seen being comforted by the chief whip, Jane Hutt.

Image source, Welsh Parliament

Vikki Howells, Cynon Valley MS and chair of the Labour group, raises the looming prospect of the general election, happening on 4 July.

"It's no wonder," she says, that the Conservatives "will do anything, anything at all, to try and shift the spotlight from their own record of abject failure."

"Vaughan Gething is the democratically elected leader of Welsh Labour. Welsh Labour is the democratically elected party of government," she said.

She said Mr Gething's government has been "delivering" for the people of Wales.

"I believe it would be a travesty if this non-binding Tory gimmick of a motion was to be used to subvert democracy," she said.

There were banging of the tables on the Labour benches as she finished her speech.

Image source, Welsh Parliament

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth says devolution in Wales has been "relatively fortunate that we've had few financial scandals".

"Today is a very grave day in the history of the Senedd," he says.

"Nobody here is beyond reproach."

Mr ap Iorwerth lists some of the Nolan principles of public life , externalsuch as acting solely in the public interest.

The Plaid leader questions whether it was really in the public interest for Mr Gething to take the money.

"Taken together the first minister's lack of judgement, and contrition, along with a bunker mentality when faced with indignation from all sides of the chamber and the Welsh public I believe do not demonstrate the required skill set for the office of first minister."

"We must be different from Westminster, not only in words, but deeds too," he added.

There are some Labour absences on the benches as Mr Davies continues his contributions - including Mark Drakeford, the former first minister.

Yesterday Mr Drakeford angrily rebuked Wales' education secretary for shelving his policy on reforming school holidays.

Mr Davies tells the Senedd that "most reasonable people would question what was being secured" by the £200,000 donation from Dauson Environmental Group.

He raises the controversy over the leaked text message from Mr Gething, where he said he was deleting messages from a pandemic-era group chat, and the Hannah Blythyn's denial that she had leaked it.

Mr Davies says the first minister should make the evidence that Ms Blythyn was the leaker of the text message public.

He said the motion may not be binding but would send a "significant message".

David Deans
Political reporter, BBC Wales News

Image source, Welsh Parliament

The Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies has opened the debate in the Senedd.

He tells the Welsh Parliament that the debate is about what the "first minister has undertaken during his tenure as first minister, and in the campaign" for the Welsh Labour leadership.

"It's about judgement, it's about transparency, and it's about honesty," he says.

The judgement issue, he says, is about the £200,000 Vaughan Gething took from a company owned by a man with convictions for environmental offences.

The debate on the Conservative motion is imminent.

MSs are currently discussing a climate change committee report - meaning the debate on the no-confidence motion will take place within the next half hour.

The vote will take place a little time after the debate finishes - perhaps around 17:30 BST, but this could change.

Concern surrounds a £200,000 donation to Vaughan Gething's leadership campaign from a company run by millionaire businessman David Neal, who was convicted twice for environmental offences.

The controversy over the donation led to the Welsh Conservatives tabling the no-confidence vote on 29 May, with the party's leader in the Senedd, Andrew RT Davies, saying the "litany of unanswered questions has paralysed the Welsh government".

BBC Wales Investigates revealed earlier this week that a criminal investigation into one of Mr Neal’s companies was ongoing at the time of the donation.

"Why on earth would I have known about an investigation at that time?” Mr Gething later told a BBC reporter.

Emails obtained by S4C's Newyddion programme, show Mr Gething also twice attempting to persuade Natural Resources Wales (NRW) not to release information requested under environmental information regulations, relating to the company.

Vikki Howells, the chair of the Labour group of Members of the Senedd (MSs), told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast that two members are currently unwell.

But she said Vaughan Gething would not stand down if he lost, saying the motion was a “gimmick” and it was up to the “voting public to decide who is in the Senedd”.

Mr Gething would not have to resign if he loses, Ms Howells added.

You can listen to the full interview on Radio Wales Breakfast here

Gareth Lewis
Political editor, BBC Wales News

As it stands Vaughan Gething will lose today's non-binding no confidence vote - so it doesn't compel him to resign but with all that's gone on, this puts him in a really awkward position.

In March this year, Vaughan Gething made history when he became the first black leader of a European nation after replacing Mark Drakeford as Wales' first minister.

Mr Gething was born in southern Africa in the capital of Zambia, Lusaka, in 1974, and then two years later this family moved to Britain.

He studied at Aberystwyth University, where he later went on to work as a lawyer, before turning to politics.

Mr Gething was first elected to Cardiff council as the Butetown representative in 2004, and then in 2011 he was elected to the National Assembly for Wales - as it was called before being renamed as the Welsh Parliament or Senedd - representing Cardiff South and Penarth.

It was as Welsh health minister that Mr Gething made his first big impression, as the Covid pandemic threw unprecedented attention on the Welsh government and increased his profile as a politician.

Image source, PA Media

Analysispublished at 13:54 British Summer Time 5 June

13:54 BST 5 June

Gareth Lewis
Political editor, BBC Wales News

Ever since the vote was called we had been using the word "unlikely" to describe the chances of a defeat for the FM.

The chances of an Labour MS abstaining seemed slim.

But there are other factors now at play. Two MSs are unwell and therefore cannot vote, Labour say.

It is unclear whether that prevents them from voting remotely, as the Senedd operates on a hybrid system.

David Deans
Political reporter, BBC Wales News

Early this morning the chair of the Labour group, Vikki Howells, confirmed that two Labour MSs have been away with illness.

She did not confirm the names, which we know to be Hannah Blythyn, the former social partnership minister, and Lee Waters, the former transport minister.

Ms Blythyn was fired by Mr Gething in May because he accused her of leaking private text messages, which she denied.

Mr Waters has been a prominent critic of Mr Gething's leadership campaign donations.

The numbers are so tight that if just one of them stays away the Conservatives could win the vote, assuming the opposition with Plaid Cymru, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds and Independent MS Rhys ab Owen remain united.