Vaughan Gething could be recalled to Covid inquiry over 'deleted messages'

The First Minister of Wales may be recalled to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry after messages emerged appearing to contradict his claims he did not delete WhatsApp messages during the pandemic. Vaughan Gething may have misled the inquiry when he denied intentionally deleting WhatsApp messages, a leaked message appears to show.

Mr Gething, who was the health minister during the pandemic, told the inquiry in March that his lost messages were not deleted by him but by the Senedd's IT team during a security rebuild. He told the hearing that the lost information was a "real embarrassment".

However, a message leaked to Nation.Cymru on Tuesday has cast doubt on Mr Gething's version of events. In a text message posted to the ministerial group chat on Monday, August 17 2020, Mr Gething appears to have said: "I'm deleting the messages in this group.

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"They can be captured in an FOI (Freedom of Information request) and I think we are in the right place on the choice being made." A spokesman for the UK Covid-19 Inquiry confirmed it has been made aware of the message and is now considering whether Mr Gething will need to provide further information.

He said: "These reports have been brought to the attention of the inquiry this morning. The inquiry is considering the information available and whether it is necessary to seek further evidence from Mr Gething."

The context of the First Minister's message is unclear and it is unknown whether it falls within the inquiry's terms of reference. Mr Gething is expected to be asked about the message during First Minister's Questions on Tuesday afternoon.

The Welsh government has been contacted for comment. Addressing the inquiry in March, Mr Gething insisted that the messages were used in place of "conversations you have in the corridor" which were no longer possible during the pandemic and not for decision-making or to "circumvent processes within the government".

He added: "I certainly do regret the fact that all those messages aren't available to you because you could see them and satisfy yourself that all of the information there is consistent with all the information in the records you do have in front of you." Both the Conservative and Plaid Cymru opposition leaders are calling for the First Minister to be recalled to the inquiry to give further evidence.

Mr Gething has come under sustained pressure in recent weeks, with repeated calls for an investigation into donations he received while running to be Welsh Labour leader. Last week in the Senedd he survived a vote calling for an independent inquiry into the £200,000 donation he took from a man convicted of environmental offences.

Opposition groups have raised concerns that it could be a possible conflict of interest and breach of the ministerial code while members of his own benches have questioned his decision-making. Former Labour minister Lee Waters went so far as to question his leader's judgment in taking the money.

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