Julie James, cabinet secretary for housing and local government has resigned from the Welsh Government. Ms James posted her reasons and resignation letter to X.
Julie James' resignation letter in full:
Dear Vaughan
Following my text to you of yesterday I am very sorry not to have heard from you.
As I said in that message yesterday, it is with a heavy heart that I am sending you this letter. I am very sorry I couldn't see you instead. I want to start by thanking you for your kindness and understanding over my arthritis and my recent operation. However, the time off has given me the space to reflect and of course I have seen recent events at the Senedd from the outside.
The last few months nave seemed to me to be a real rollercoaster. On the one hand, serious pride in your truly historic election; of agreeing to serve in your government and being determined to do my very best in that role; and the great UK election result. On the other hand, the serious issues over your campaign donations; the real mistakes in the handling of those and other issues, which led up to your loss of the confidence vote in the Senedd and the continuing and seemingly never-ending series of related issues that have followed. In these circumstances, I see no way to agreeing a budget nor how we can achieve our legislative ambitions. In particular, given recent conversations with cabinet colleagues, I can see no real route to agreeing the passage of the radical, transformational homelessness legislation which will obviously need cross party support.
This cannot be what you wanted and must have caused you and your family a lot of pain and I think has visibly caused huge divisions in the group and damaged both the country and the party. I think it also now threatens the continued existence of the devolution journey itself.
We must begin to repair this damage immediately and I am extremely sorry to tell you that I do not think you are capable of being the leader who can lead us through that.
I had asked you, in the interests of the country and the party to stand down immediately. Given that you have not done so, it is with great regret that I feel I can no longer serve in your government.
I am very sad indeed that it has come to this.
Yours sincerely
Julie James MS
https://twitter.com/JulieJamesMS/status/1813130696946291063
