Tories force no confidence vote in Welsh health minister

The Welsh Conservatives will force a vote of no confidence in Wales' health minister on Wednesday.

They accuse Eluned Morgan of trying to dodge responsibility for failings at Betsi Cadwaladr health board.

Special measures were imposed on the north Wales health board for the second time earlier this year, following a damning audit report.

Defending the health minister, Welsh Labour said Ms Morgan "is doing a great job".

While the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru will support it, Labour Senedd members are expected to back Ms Morgan.

The move puts more pressure on the health minister, but with the Welsh Lib Dems also planning to reject the no confidence vote, it's expected the Conservatives will lose.

If it was to pass it would be embarrassing for Mark Drakeford's administration but it would not be binding on the Welsh government to act on the vote.

Eluned Morgan's decision to sack the independent board of Betsi Cadwaladr sparked a row in February, with former members accusing the government of failing to take a grasp of the situation.

An audit report depicted working relationships among the senior leadership having broken down and an executive team suffering dysfunction.

Welsh Conservatives said Ms Morgan's record over the past two years was "damning" with more than 45,000 waiting for more than two years.

Their Shadow Minister for North Wales, Darren Millar, said: "We need a health service in Wales where people are held to account where things go wrong and that starts with the health minister."

Plaid Cymru called for Ms Morgan to be sacked during their spring party conference.

Plaid health spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth said: "It's the utter failure to sort out Wales' largest health board - Betsi Cadwaladr - that, for me, has been the straw that broke the camel's back."

A spokesperson from the Welsh Liberal Democrats said: "Ministerial musical chairs isn't going to do anything to help the people of north Wales, especially when no credible alternative exists, instead we want to see concrete action on the problems highlighted in the report into Betsi Cadwaladr."

The Welsh government has previously said it was acting to rectify problems with the board when it put it in special measures.

In a statement a Welsh government spokeswoman said: "We will respond to the debate."

A Welsh Labour spokesperson said: "This is nothing more than a political attack on the Health Minister, who is doing a great job."

She added: "Long waits are falling every month; people have faster access to new treatments in Wales and care is being provided closer to home."