Labour MSs do not deny Vaughan Gething told to return waste cash

Vaughan Gething is due to be confirmed as first minister on Wednesday

Senior Welsh politicians have failed to deny whether Labour colleagues called for incoming First Minister Vaughan Gething to hand back his donations from a controversial waste company.

The £200,000 from Dauson Environmental Group form the bulk of the quarter of a million of donations accepted.

On BBC Radio Wales two Labour politicians declined to say if it was raised at a private Labour meeting.

Mr Gething has said throughout that he has followed the rules.

He has previously refused calls to pay the money back.

Welsh Labour has confirmed that any left over money from the campaigns needs to be given to the party.

Health minister Eluned Morgan acknowledged some were "disquieted" about the donations but said that the promise of a review on future campaigns had helped alleviate people's concerns.

She said she was "sure" the issue of whether money can be accepted from people who have been convicted in the past would be "rolled into the review".

Vaughan Gething is to be confirmed as first minister on Wednesday. Alun Davies, Blaenau Gwent MS, said all Labour members will back Mr Gething in a vote.

The BBC reported suggestions earlier this week that some MSs were considering whether they should support him.

Latest declarations on the Electoral Commission website show the victorious leadership candidate raised at least £254,600.

In comparison, his rival Jeremy Miles raised at least £58,800.

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Dauson Environmental Group is a waste firm owned by David John Neal, who has twice been convicted of environmental offences.

He was given a suspended sentence of three-months for illegal dumping of waste in 2013 and an 18 week suspended sentence for not cleaning it up in 2017.

His company Atlantic Recycling admitted an environmental offence in January, but has not yet been sentenced. It was fined £300,000 for the death of a worker earlier this year.

The BBC revealed earlier this month that Mr Gething asked Natural Resources Wales to ease restrictions on Atlantic Recycling in 2016. He has defended the correspondence as being part of his work as a constituency politician.

On BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Alun Davies was asked if anyone at a Labour Party Senedd group meeting on Tuesday asked Mr Gething to return the money.

He said: "There's a spectrum of views in the Labour Party, most of us wish there weren't. The Labour group has come together.

"I know some people will say different things.

"What we're going to see today is the election of a new first minister. I look forward to that."

He said the group meeting was "overwhelmingly about Mark" Drakeford.

"Mark spoke at group and he thanked everybody for their support over the years and the rest of it. There was enormous emotional sense of gratitude to Mark for what he's done."

Mr Davies, who has been previous critical of the donations, said: "I'm gonna put my suit on and go down the Bay and I'm gonna vote for Vaughan this afternoon, and every Labour member is going to vote for Vaughan this afternoon.

"There's no prospect of a single Labour member not voting for Vaughan."

Outgoing health minister Eluned Morgan, who is not expected to stay in the job once Mr Gething forms his government, said there was "obviously some people disquieted" by the donations.

'Everybody's in need of a little Easter break'

The MS for Mid and West Wales, who backed Mr Gething, said: "It's very clear that Vaughan Gething has said there will be a review of the rules".

Asked whether it would look at how much money is accepted or whether money could be accepted from people who have been convicted in the past, she said: "I'm sure all of those things will be rolled into the review.

"I think that was something that has helped to alleviate people's concerns.

"I think people are ready to move on now and I think everybody's in need of a little Easter break."

Asked whether any Senedd Labour members had asked Mr Gething to return the money, she said: "Well, that's a matter for my colleagues. But you know, the fact is we are ready now to turn the page."

Pressed on whether it was raised at the Labour group meeting, she said: "I'm not gonna tell you what was discussed at the Labour group meeting."

Vaughan Gething received more than a quarter of a million in donations for his Welsh Labour leadership campaign.

New declarations from the Electoral Commission show two large donations worth more than £20,000 in February.

The declarations showed that Mr Gething received £25,000 from Veezu Holding Limited, which owns Dragon Taxis in Cardiff and a number of other taxi companies, which are rebranding.

The Welsh government is working on reforming taxi regulations - legislation is expected at the end of the Senedd term.

BBC Wales approached Mr Gething and a PR agency representing Veezu for comment.

Dauson Environmental Group has been asked for comment.