Welsh Labour leadership: The controversy that changed the race

Some think Vaughan Gething might need to embark on a clean-up operation if victorious

The Labour leadership campaign has been running for so long that it has a BC date stamp - Before Christmas.

It began on 14 December, the day after Mark Drakeford announced he was standing down.

And it might have dragged on still further given how close the candidates are in terms of policy and their position in the party.

Thanks though to campaign donations, it hasn't.

But one of these in particular has attracted headlines, namely the £200,000 given to Vaughan Gething's campaign by a company whose owner has twice been convicted for the illegal dumping of waste.

And the story has developed, as you can read here:

• Gething donor plans Gwent Levels solar farm

• Gething helped donor's waste offence company

• Gething donor firm admits new offence

For some in the Welsh Labour party it has left a nasty stink, and Mr Gething might need to embark on a clean-up operation if he wins.

The current economy minister says he has done everything by the book and that the donations have been declared in the proper way with both the Senedd and the Electoral Commission.

He has also been cleared by Mr Drakeford of breaking the ministerial code after the Welsh Conservatives asked him to investigate.

It is a huge amount of money for Welsh politics and, for context, Mr Drakeford said this week that he spent £25,000 in his leadership campaign back in 2018.

Leaving the amount of money aside, this has also raised questions for some about Mr Gething's judgement.

Both Mr Drakeford and Mr Miles have avoided venturing an opinion on the donations or whether they should be paid back - as, in public at least, have most Labour Senedd members.

But behind the scenes there is disquiet, or "real anger and fury" as one puts it and "an increasing and enormous frustration" around the donations and an earlier row over a union nomination.

One MS has told me the rules need to change, and that it might set a precedent for the amount of money future candidates might need to raise. And that's before you get onto questions integrity on environmental issues.

Another harks back to a previous Welsh Labour rift in 1999 between supporters of Alun Michael and Rhodri Morgan "that took a long time to heal".

Jeremy Miles has avoided commenting on the donations or whether they should be paid back

Would MSs taking a dim view of what's happened refuse to serve in a Vaughan Gething cabinet?

"They say 'no'" said one. But would they really?

"This isn't a game, this is a serious proposition and there is a job of work to be done," the MS added.

Mr Gething's supporters have stood by their man, one insisting that everything is well within the rules whilst also saying that if victorious he will need to unite the group and the party around the government.

But the problems might extend beyond the Labour party.

The Welsh Conservatives are already waiting eagerly to go on the attack if Mr Gething wins - albeit their colleagues at Westminster have their own donation issues.

And what about Plaid Cymru?

It is in a co-operation agreement with Welsh Labour, but as of Thursday afternoon were publicly calling for the £200,000 to be returned.

That agreement runs until the end of the year, so if Mr Gething wins and the money is not given back does that bring to a head the signs of rupture that have been starting to emerge?

We'll see.

Then again, Jeremy Miles might win.

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