Plaid Cymru call for cap on political donations after Labour controversy

Rhun ap Iorwerth: “Vaughan Gething has demonstrated a contemptuous attitude towards political donations”

A Plaid Cymru motion calling for a cap on political donations will be debated in the Senedd next week.

It comes after major controversy around the donations accepted by Labour First Minister Vaughan Gething.

Mr Gething accepted a £200,000 donation to his leadership campaign to be Welsh Labour leader from convicted environmental polluter David Neal of Dauson Environmental Group.

Subsequent reports revealed that Dauson Environmental Group Ltd 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 MS said that in accepting the hefty donation from an individual “who he knew had been found guilty of environmental offences”, Mr Gething had demonstrated a “contemptuous attitude towards political donations”.

Mr ap Iorwerth said that it raised “wider questions about the First Minister’s judgement”.

Plaid Cymru have called for an independent inquiry into the saga to “bring this sorry chapter to a close”.

The Plaid Cymru Leader called on the First Minister to support Plaid Cymru’s calls by commissioning an independent inquiry and backing a cap on individual donations in order to restore the Welsh public’s trust.

Plaid Cymru Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth MS 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.”