Northern Ireland is led jointly by Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly, meaning that for the first time there are no white male heads of government in the UK.

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Wales, which has a population of about 3 million, is one of four parts of the United Kingdom, along with England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The British government in London is responsible for defence, foreign affairs and other UK-wide issues, while administrations in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast control areas such as education and health.

Gething was Wales’ health minister during the COVID-19 pandemic, and as economy minister has had to deal with fallout from Tata Steel’s plan to close both blast furnaces at its plant in Port Talbot, a move that eliminated 2800 jobs at one of Wales’ biggest employers.

He will take over a government that is often at odds with Sunak’s Conservative administration. Wales has also experienced a wave of protests over environmental rules by farmers, similar to those that have roiled France and other European countries.

Gething was the frontrunner to win the contest, though his campaign was rattled by the revelation he had accepted £200,000 ($388,000) in donations from a recycling company that was found guilty of environmental offences and breaching health and safety regulations.

Gething said the donations were properly declared under electoral rules.

Other party leaders offered congratulations to Gething, along with a dose of scepticism.

“I daresay it will be business as usual because he’s been cut of the same cloth as Mark Drakeford,” Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said.

AP