In a historic move, Wales has elected its first Black leader, breaking a long-standing tradition of only white men running the U.K. government.
Vaughan Gething was elected as the new first minister of WalesWednesday
On Wednesday, Gething made history as the first Black leader of a U.K. government. He was chosen by Welsh parliament members in Cardiff, four days following Wednesday.winning the contest to be leader of Wales’ governing Labour Party. He secured 27 of 51 votes in the legislature, the Senedd, where Labour is the biggest party.
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“It is both an honor and a weighty duty for me as a representative of contemporary Wales,” he stated to legislators.
He expressed a desire to lead a nation that embraces diversity and finds unity in our commonalities.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak comes from Indian descent, while Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf was born into a Pakistani family in the UK. Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly jointly lead Northern Ireland, marking the first time that the UK does not have White male heads of government.
Wales, with a population of approximately 3 million, is among the four regions that make up the United Kingdom, along with England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The responsibility for defense, foreign affairs, and other matters pertaining to the whole U.K. falls under the British government in London, while the administrations in Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Belfast each manage their own budgets for things like education and health.
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Gething served as the health minister of Wales during the 2019 measles outbreak.COVID-19 pandemic
Since 2021, he has held the position of economy minister in the country.
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He will assume control of a governing body that frequently disagrees with Sunak’s Conservative leadership in London. Wales is also experiencing a surge of demonstrations from farmers against environmental regulations, resembling those that have already occurred.
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Gething’s bid for leadership was thrown into disarray when it was revealed that he had received 200,000 pounds ($255,000) in contributions from a recycling company that had been convicted of environmental violations and violating health and safety laws. Gething stated that the donations were disclosed in accordance with election regulations.
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Source: cbsnews.com