Welsh ministers accused of being 'scared of scrutiny' over Gething's donation controversy

Mr Gething has come under sustained pressure in recent weeks, with repeated calls for an investigation into donations he received. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

UK Government ministers have accused Welsh ministers of being "scared of scrutiny" and trying to "deflect attention" from questions over donations to Vaughan Gething’s leadership campaign.

In the House of Commons, MPs clashed over the row during a session of questions to the Welsh Secretary, David TC Davies MP.

Mr Gething has come under sustained pressure in recent weeks, with repeated calls for an investigation into donations he received while running to become Welsh Labour leader, from a man convicted of environmental offences.

Mr Gething has repeatedly insisted that no rules were broken, that all donations were properly declared and that he has had no say in any decisions affecting the donor's business. He has pointed to a Welsh Labour review of campaign rules and has asked the Senedd's standards committee to look into donation rules.

The Welsh Secretary, David TC Davies (Left), and the Wales Minister, Fay Jones (Right), both launched attacks on Labour Welsh Ministers. Credit: PA Images

The Welsh Secretary, David TC Davies, and the Wales Minister, Fay Jones, both launched attacks on Labour Welsh ministers and the party’s front bench over the row.

Mr Davies listed his criticism of Labour Welsh Governments over the course of 25 years of devolution. He said: "We were promised that it was going to deliver better schools and hospitals and public standards and what we actually have are the longest waiting lists in the United Kingdom, the worst educational standards in the United Kingdom, and a first minister who's willing to take £200,000 in a donation from a twice convicted criminal, Mr. Speaker, that is the record of 25 years of Labour running a government in Wales.”

Jo Stevens told MPs that "it is literally rich of Honourable members opposite to be chuntering about donations." Credit: PA Images

Labour’s shadow Welsh secretary Jo Stevens hit back by referring to controversy over a Conservative donor, Frank Hester, who was reported to have made racist and misogynistic comments.

She said: "It is literally rich of honourable members opposite to be chuntering about donations. How much of Mr. Frank Hester's millions is bankrolling his general election campaign, a man who said that a black woman MP in this chamber should be shot.”

The former Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb raised questions about water pollution and environmental rules. Credit: PA Images

The former Welsh secretary Stephen Crabb raised questions about water pollution and environmental rules, but linked it to the donations row by stating: "Given that the ministers in Wales responsible for overseeing the public health and the environmental regulatory response both voted last week to block an independent investigation into the financial dealings between the owner of that site and the first minister, how on earth can my constituents have confidence that their concerns will be addressed, addressed impartially and the problems resolved?”

Wales Minister Fay Jones said: "Any way you look at it, this donation stinks. And I think it is shameful that the Welsh Government are evading scrutiny on this issue… His constituents can have no confidence that this matter will be investigated. There is no independent scrutiny here. And I think Labour members of opposite should explain why they are scared of scrutiny on this."

There was criticism from Plaid Cymru too, which in Cardiff Bay is in a co-operation agreement with the Labour Welsh Government.

Making the point that “more than one in four children in Wales lives in poverty” Plaid Cymru’s parliamentary leader Liz Saville-Roberts said that “devolution has the capacity to transform people’s lives, but the current first minister is distracted with questions about his integrity, deleting messages, and taking dodgy donations. Twenty-five years since the start of devolution, does the secretary of state agree with me that governments at both ends of the M4 need to recommit to integrity and transparency?”

David TC Davies pointed at Labour MPs and said “they have the audacity to sit there laughing when people ask questions about standards” but he also criticised Plaid Cymru, saying that Ms Saville-Roberts should “collapse the coalition and stop supporting the Welsh Labour government and then we can get a decent government with decent values running well".

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