Vaughan Gething to face Senedd votes on controversial campaign donations

Emily Price

Vaughan Gething is set to face a double debate showdown in the Senedd tomorrow as opposition party leaders bring forward motions on his controversial campaign donations.

Both the Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru have tabled Senedd motions for Wednesday afternoon (May 1) amid growing pressure on the new First Minister.

Plaid Cymru has called for a cap on political donations in Wales and an independent investigation into the donations Mr Gething accepted when he was campaigning to become the Welsh Labour leader.

The Welsh Conservatives have similarly tabled a motion calling for the First Minister to appoint an independent advisor to investigate any conflict of interests that may exist in relation to the donations.

Polluter

In March, Nation.Cymru revealed that Mr Gething had accepted a £200,000 donation to his campaign from convicted polluter David Neal of Dauson Environmental Group.

It represents the highest political donation made to a Welsh politician since it became a legal obligation to declare them

We later revealed that Dauson Environmental were £400,000 in debt to the Development Bank of Wales – a bank wholly owned by the Welsh Government.

The loan was awarded to the company when Vaughan Gething was the economy minister.

Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth says the donations scandal has raised “wider questions about the First Minister’s judgement”.

He said: “In accepting £200,000 from an individual who he knew had been found guilty of environmental offences, Vaughan Gething has demonstrated a contemptuous attitude towards political donations.

“Not only would the eye watering sum of money not meet public approval, but it also raises wider questions about the First Minister’s judgement.

“Only an independent inquiry can bring this sorry chapter to a close.

“The purpose of having our own parliament is to be able to do things differently and to do them better. The First Minister seems utterly disinterested in seizing this opportunity.

“If he is to have any chance of restoring the Welsh public’s trust, the First Minister must urgently rethink his refusal to commission an independent inquiry and commit to supporting Plaid Cymru’s calls for a cap on individual donations.”

Review

Mr Gething has so far rejected calls from opposition parties for an independent probe into the scandal.

He has appointed Carwyn Jones, a former Welsh First Minister, to carry out a review of how the party’s elections are carried out, including examining campaign financing.

Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies says that whilst the political discourse is allowed to continue, the focus is being shifted away from important issues such as NHS waiting lists.

He said: “It’s time to put this issue to bed once and for all.

“Vaughan Gething’s Government has stalled before it could get going, with a senior Minister openly questioning his judgement, all while our public services suffer.

“In order to get on with the job of tackling Labour’s soaring waiting lists, the cancer crisis and poor educational attainment, we need to see a full, independent investigation into Gething’s campaign finances.”

Neither motion is likely to be passed, even if opposition parties opted to stick together.

Labour holds half of the seats in the Senedd and in the event of a deadlock, the Llywydd, Elin Jones, is obliged to vote against changing the status quo.