Place for people ‘who look like me’ in politics, says Gething as he stands down

Vaughan Gething made history in March when he became the first black leader of any European country.

Vaughan Gething announced he was resigning as Welsh first minister on Tuesday after four months in the role (Ben Birchall/PA) (PA Wire)

Vaughan Gething said there had to be a place in politics for people “who look like me”, after quitting as Welsh first minister.

Mr Gething, the first black leader of a European nation, announced he was stepping down after four months in the role following a series of controversies.

But Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Gething could take “enormous pride” in acting as a role model for “a generation of young people”.

Mr Gething was born in Zambia in 1974, where his father, a Welsh vet from Ogmore-by-Sea in Glamorgan, met his mother, a chicken farmer.

In a statement announcing his resignation, Mr Gething said: “I have always pursued my political career to serve Wales.

“And being able to show underrepresented communities that there is a place for them, for us, is an honour and privilege that will never diminish.”

He added: “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.

“There will – and there must be – a government that looks like the country it serves.”

The Prime Minister said: “Vaughan should take enormous pride in being the first black leader of any country in Europe.

“That achievement will have broadened the ambitions and raised the gaze of a generation of young people in Wales and beyond.”