The Labour First Minister’s donations matter – we must keep Westminster style sleaze out of Wales

Heledd Fychan MS – Plaid Cymru

Trust matters in politics. But the recent donation scandal surrounding the Labour First Minister of Wales threatens to erode that trust.

Earlier this year, during the Welsh Labour leadership election, it came to light that Vaughan Gething had accepted a staggering £200,000 donation from a convicted criminal and environmental polluter – David Neal of Dauson Environmental Group.

Not only was this the largest political donation ever recorded in the history of Welsh politics, but further investigative pieces by Nation.Cymru’s Martin Shipton discovered that Vaughan Gething had actually lobbied Natural Resources Wales on behalf of Dauson Environmental Group when he was economy minister – encouraging them to go easy on the company.

Further digging by Nation Cymru discovered more – that Dauson Environmental Group had been awarded a Welsh Government loan of £400k when Vaughan Gething was economy minister via the Development Bank of Wales.

This issue goes to the heart of government operations. The conflict of interest is obvious. The lapse in judgment, clear.

But when questions have rightly been asked, the newly elected First Minister has done nothing to allay concerns – attempting to brush aside concerns, criticising “unserious” journalists for asking perfectly legitimate questions, and sticking to the increasingly strained line that ‘all rules were followed.’

Approval ratings

He even pointed towards a rise in his personal approval ratings whilst being questioned by Plaid Cymru’s Llyr Gruffydd last week during a scrutiny committee as an indicator that ‘people didn’t care’.

Well, First Minister. We care. These donations matter because they threaten the integrity of Welsh politics.

Mr Gething’s so-called defence is that ‘rules were followed’. Rules may well have been followed, but that doesn’t mean that they are morally acceptable nor an indicator of good judgement from someone who currently occupies the highest elected office in Wales.

The palpable silence from fellow Labour Ministers and back-benchers in the Senedd last week when the First Minister took further opposition questions on the matter spoke volumes, just as loud were his Ministerial and Parliamentary colleagues lining up to distance themselves from his decision to accept the money.

Ministerial code

The Welsh government’s ministerial code sets out very specific points on what is and isn’t acceptable for Ministers, so as to ensure that influence is not bought. But, also importantly, it makes it clear that ministers should not put themselves in a position where there is a perception of a conflict of interest.

It says: ‘Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or appears to arise, between their public duties and their private interests. And Ministers should not accept any gift or hospitality which might or might not reasonably appear to compromise their judgement.’

Plaid Cymru believe that threshold has been reached, and it’s why Rhun ap Iorwerth, Plaid Cymru’s Leader, wrote to the Permanent Secretary asking for a full independent inquiry and for the findings to be made public.

We are all too familiar with Tory chaos, corruption and cronyism.

Sleaze has sadly been normalised in Westminster politics over the last few decades which has denigrated our democracy.

Sadly, it now threatens to rear its head in Welsh politics through this donations saga which continues to dominate the Labour First Minister’s first few weeks in office. And Mr Gething cannot just hope that putting a tin hat on will make the issue go away.

Plaid Cymru believe we have an opportunity in Wales to build something better and to keep that sleaze away from public life here.

Debate

That’s why Plaid Cymru are calling for two things in our debate this week. Firstly, there must be a cap on donations from individuals to politicians. Influence should never be bought.

Secondly, we need an independent investigation into the donations in question. The public would have little confidence, I think, in a process whereby the First Minister acts as judge and jury in his own case.

The First Minister has commissioned one of his predecessors, Carwyn Jones to undertake a review of the rules surrounding donations for the Welsh Labour leadership contest.

In the interest of transparency, it’s regrettable that the First Minister chose a party insider rather than someone unaffiliated to Labour to do that review.

If public trust is to be restored, then these steps must be taken immediately.

As Llinos Medi, Plaid Cymru Westminster Candidate for Ynys Môn recently stated, ‘you don’t buy trust, you work for it.’

I couldn’t agree more. No elected politician should ever take the electorate – or their position – for granted.