Keir Starmer backs review after Gething campaign donations controversy

Sir Keir Starmer said it "makes sense" to review rules following controversy over donations to Vaughan Gething's leadership bid

Sir Keir Starmer said it "makes sense" for Welsh Labour to review its campaign funding rules following controversy over donations to Vaughan Gething's leadership bid.

The UK Labour leader was in Wales for the first time since Mr Gething was appointed as first minister.

Mr Gething's campaign received £200,000 from a company run by a man convicted twice for environmental offences.

The first minister has rejected calls to repay the money.

However, he will hold a review of campaign funding.

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"I think the first minister has answered these questions and has said that there should be a review of the rules, so that would make sense, but he has answered those questions," Sir Keir said during a visit to Holyhead, Anglesey, on Monday.

He added: "The first minister has explained his actions, he has not broken any rules and that's the end of the matter."

The two were on the island to highlight Labour's plans to fund floating off-shore wind farms if it wins the general election.

Sir Keir said Labour was also committed to nuclear power and Wylfa on Anglesey was a "prime candidate".

"We will obviously have to look at the details if we are privileged enough to come into government," he said.

Sir Keir said local people were "frustrated" by delays to a decision about Wylfa's future. The UK government recently announced it would buy the site as part of a £160m deal with the previous developer, Hitachi. Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said: "The Conservatives have a plan to get Wales moving with a focus on clean energy, investing in north Wales by purchasing the Wylfa site, putting Wales at the centre of the UK's nuclear ambition." Plaid Cymru MP Hywel Williams said: "The suspicion, and I think it's well founded, is that we might be talking in five or 10 years' time and still nothing will have happened. Nothing has happened for a very, very long time. They need to get their skates on."

HS2 funding

Sir Keir did not commit to giving the Welsh government extra funding though the HS2 project - something all parties in the Senedd have called for.

The current UK government had made a "complete mess of that - the finances are all over the place", he said.

"We will have to review that and make decisions when we are able to do so."

Sir Keir and Mr Gething said there would be a better relationship between the Welsh and UK governments if Labour ran both administrations.

On the relationship between Welsh and UK Labour, Mr Gething said: "I think it will be constructive and positive.

"We won't see eye-to-eye on every issue, but you don't see eye-to-eye in your own family on every issue.

"The point is though we could have a UK Labour government with real ambition for the future of Wales and the future of the UK - a real partnership and a turning of the page."