The political picture of the country is as follows: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom the Indian origin Rishi Sunak, first Prime Minister of Scotland the Muslim Humza Yousaf, first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland the Catholic Michelle O’Neill and now the first Prime Minister of Wales (First Minister) black Vaughan Gething.

This means that no UK nation is now ruled by a white Protestant Briton, which until now was probably the only certainty. “Today we are turning a page in the history of our nation. Not only because I have the honor of being the first black leader in any European country, but because it also shows the great progress of generations,” the new prime minister, who was elected after a vote for a leadership change in her Labor party, said in his victory speech. Wales.

Until recently Vaughan Gething was finance minister in Wales. He celebrated his 50th birthday on Friday and has been in the Welsh Parliament, also known as the Senedd, since 2011. His father is Welsh, while his mother is from Zambia. He was born in 1974 in the capital of Zambia, Lusaka, while his parents left the African continent just two years later.

Politics won him over early as, while studying law, he was elected president of the National Union of Students Wales, again the first black president in its history.

The ‘controversial’ £200,000 sponsorship

But Mr Gething, even before he takes office next Wednesday, is already facing criticism. According to British media, the main problem that arises is the acceptance of a “controversial” donation of 200,000 pounds from the company Dauson Environmental Group and businessman David John Neill.

The grants in question (from £100,000) were made in December 2023 and January 2024. Gething accepted them, despite Mr Neill having twice been convicted of environmental offences. He was first given a suspended prison sentence in 2013 for illegally dumping waste in a protected area. The same company in 2019 was found guilty of negligence in safety regulations that led to the death of one of its employees.

The new prime minister has simply replied that “donations are an integral part of modern politics”.

Congratulations, but also reactions

The phone call to Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer was immediate. Starmer’s message: “Hopeful and ambitious victory for the Welsh Labor government against a tired and failed Conservative government at Westminster.” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was content to write on the X platform: “Opportunity for the new Welsh administration to focus on what its people need.”

The former Labor Prime Minister of Wales (2009-2018) Carwin Jones said, however, referring to the controversial donation, that Vaughan Gerthing’s decision was “unfortunate” and his own campaign at the time “cost 10 to 15 thousand pounds, so the 200,000 from a donor is a lot of money”.

His defeated running mate, Jeremy Miles, echoed that “trust is something that has to be earned”. The leader of Plaid Cymru, a party that wants Wales to secede from Great Britain, said emphatically that “it must at least return the 200,000”.