Former First Minister to review Welsh Labour leadership election process after donation controversy

  • Wales

  • First Minister Vaughan Gething has rejected calls for an independent inquiry from opposition leaders, as Adrian Masters reports.

Vaughan Gething has announced a review into the process of how leaders are elected in Welsh Labour.

The review will include a look at campaign finances.

Speaking to ITV Cymru Wales' Sharp End programme, the current first minister said he has asked one of his predecessors, Carwyn Jones, to chair the review.

  • The first minister tells ITV Cymru Wales' political programme Sharp End how campaign finances in a leadership election will be scrutinised.

"I've attended a very harmonious and positive meeting of the Welsh Executive [Committee] just this weekend gone at which we've honoured my commitment to have a proper review of the elections process," Mr Gething said.

"Campaign finances is one of the issues to be agreed. And within that there are people who took part in the campaign, on more than one side.

"Carwyn Jones, at my request, has agreed to chair that review. And it will report back to the Welsh Executive of Welsh Labour in September."

The review comes after Mr Gething's own campaign to replace Mark Drakeford as leader of Welsh Labour has been marred with controversy.

During the contest, it emerged that his campaign had received a donation of £200,000 from Dauson Environmental Group, whose director David Neal was convicted twice for environmental offences.

Vaughan Gething has consistently said "no rules have been broken" in the way donations to his campaign were either received or declared.

Mr Neal meanwhile has said that he will be "happy to cooperate with any review or queries".

Opposition leaders in the Senedd have however called for an independent investigation into the "unanswered questions" surrounding the donations, something the first minister has rejected.

Plaid Cymru's leader raised concerns about whether the ministerial code has been followed.

Rhun ap Iorwerth said he believes the threshold for a breach of the ministerial code has been passed.

In response to the review to be chaired by Carwyn Jones, Andrew RT Davies has accused Welsh Labour of "marking their own homework."

The Welsh Conservative leader said; "There are direct questions to be answered abut the perception of a conflict of interest over Gething's donations that relate to the Ministerial Code, and they are not just questions for the Labour Party.

"Gething must now accept that a full, independent investigation is the only way to address the widely held concerns over his campaign finances."

Mr Gething has since said he will not commission an independent inquiry, stating "there was no conflict of interest which would have prevented me from accepting a contribution".

  • You can see more from Rob Osborne's interview with Vaughan Gething on Sharp End tonight (Tuesday 23 April) at 11:05pm. Catch up with the latest episodes here.

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