‘Answers needed!’ Sunak backs calls for probe into First Minister's controversial donations

‘Answers needed!’ Sunak backs calls for probe into First Minister's controversial donations

WATCH HERE: Vaughan Gething addresses Senedd

GB News
Hannah Woodward

By Hannah Woodward


Published: 01/05/2024

- 18:53

Updated: 01/05/2024

- 21:30

A whopping £200,000 donation was made during Gething’s election campaign

The Prime Minister is the latest to call for an independent inquiry into a controversial £200,000 donation made to the Welsh First Minister during his election campaign.

Gething has come under fire after accepting the six-figure sum from a man twice convicted of environmental offences, but the First Minister has maintained that all the rules were followed.


During Prime Minister’s Questions, the PM said it was “an incredibly important issue” and there was a need for “transparency and an investigation”.

Last month, Gething confirmed that former Labour First Minister Carwyn Jones will lead a review of donations in an investigation on behalf of Welsh Labour. Jones admitted earlier in the year that the decision to take the donations was “unfortunate” and “lessons need to be learned”.

Vaughan Gething

Vaughan Gething faces a probe over his £200k election campaign donation

PA

This week, Former First Minister Carwyn Jones told the BBC that an internal party review will look at the size of donations to future contests and where they come from.

The row goes beyond the six-figure donation, as opposition parties have raised concerns of a possible conflict of interest in his campaign having accepted the money from a company which was loaned £400,000 by the Welsh Government-owned Development Bank of Wales (DBW). The loan from the DBW was given to Neal Soil Suppliers – a subsidiary of Dauson – in 2023 to help purchase a solar farm.

At the time Gething said the Development Bank of Wales takes decisions “wholly independent of Welsh Government”.

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But, the current Economy Minister and former rival to Gething, Jeremy Miles - asked a Welsh Government-owned bank to reflect on its due diligence amid the controversy.

Miles has also put his head above the parapet regarding donations.

Last month, Miles was questioned regarding the £200,000 donation made to Gething’s leadership campaign, Miles who was Gething’s leadership opponent, admitted he would not have accepted the donation.

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