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Vaughan Gething denied there is any onus on him to prove Hannah Blythyn leaked to the press despite her denials and confirmation she was not the source.

Llyr Gruffydd said it is clear the former minister denies the claims that led to her sacking, so the onus is on Wales’ First Minister to prove the allegation.

But Mr Gething bit back: “I reject that completely: the onus is not on me to prove that.”

In a heated exchange, the First Minister raised his voice, shouting “let me finish” at the Plaid Cymru politician as he was being pressed about concerns.

Mr Gething told the meeting of a Senedd scrutiny committee that he had reached an inescapable conclusion about where the leak came from.

‘Fester’

However, on Thursday, Nation.Cymru took the extraordinary step of confirming Ms Blythyn was not the source of leaked messages.

Mr Gruffydd asked whether the iMessage group was official or less formal.

Accusing his political opponents of “getting into the weeds”, the First Minister did not confirm if it was a formal ministerial group.

He said: “I did not create the group. The group was created and we were all added in.

“The point is: if ministers are prepared to share information about each other in a way that directly compromises each other and the trust that exists, that does go to collective responsibility and it goes to the [ministerial] code.

“The evidence is just very straightforward. You either choose to act or you choose to allow it to fester and that affects what the government can do.”

‘Painful’

Nation.Cymru accused the First Minister of misleading the UK Covid inquiry by not admitting to deleting records, with screenshots showing he tried to swerve a transparency law.

Russell George, for the Conservatives, reiterated calls for the First Minister to publish evidence following Hannah Blythyn’s “brave” personal statement on Tuesday.

Mr Gething said he was surprised to face questions in the Senedd on Wednesday about his “painful” choice to sack the former social partnership minister.

He told the committee: “The statement that had been made on the Tuesday, we were all told this is a statement and there is no response to it.

“Then we essentially had a response to it the next day …in a contested environment.

“When Hannah made her statement … she made clear she didn’t want other people speaking for her. We then had an afternoon of men speaking for her. I find that difficult.”

‘Inconsistency’

Mr Gething denied any accusation of inconsistency, saying: “I have never tried to claim that Hannah Blythyn directly contacted Nation.Cymru.

“I’m very clear: the evidence I have is that a photograph of her phone was provided to Nation.Cymru. Ministers are responsible for their own data.”

The former lawyer added: “I can tell you it was a real issue between ministers.

“If you don’t feel you can trust people then it affects what you say and how you say it.

“So, I made a really difficult choice because I thought it was the right thing to do for the government and the country – and it really is as simple as that.”

‘Integrity’

Mr Gething told the committee there is potential a route back into government for Ms Blythyn “but it is about how people respond and how people behave”.

“It’s hard for me to have people constantly question my integrity,” he said.

“In all my life, as a trade union rep, as an employment lawyer, as a member and a minister – I always tried to do the right thing, including when it’s difficult for me personally.

“That is what I’m doing again and yet here we are, with more questions and more suggestions that go to the heart of integrity and decency.”

A fiery First Minister accused fellow Senedd members of questioning his integrity in the chamber “without facts to support it, without truth behind it”.

‘Committed’

Mr Gething emphasised that the Welsh Government is “getting on with the job”, pointing to Tuesday’s statement on plans for new laws as an example.

He said: “I want to carry on and do the job I have been elected to do. It really is a privilege to lead my country and that’s what I’m committed to do.”

David Rees, the deputy speaker or Diprwy Lywydd, who chairs the scrutiny committee, intervened to curtail questioning of the First Minister on the matter.

At the meeting at Llanelli’s Parc y Scarlets on July 12, Mr Rees said: “I think there’s opportunities ahead of us before the recess to have further discussions on this point.”

On July 17, Senedd members will debate a Conservative motion that aims to force the First Minister to publish all evidence he relied on with appropriate redactions.