Former Welsh Labour leader, Carwyn Jones, has been appointed by Vaughan Gething, the current Welsh government leader, to conduct a review of the party’s election practices, including an examination of campaign financing. This move comes in response to controversy surrounding a £200,000 campaign donation received by Gething from an individual with a history of environmental convictions.
The appointment of Jones to lead this review has been met with criticism from the Welsh Conservatives, who argue that it represents a form of self-assessment by the Labour Party. Both the Tories and Plaid Cymru have called for an independent investigation into the finances and potential conflicts of interest, particularly in light of revelations that the Development Bank of Wales, owned by the Welsh Government, provided a £400,000 loan to a subsidiary of the company that made the donation to Gething.
In response to the criticism, Gething has defended the appointment, stating that he is committed to transparency and that the review will report back to the chief executive of Welsh Labour in September. However, Gething has faced pressure to repay the donation, which he has declined to do, maintaining that it was declared in accordance with Senedd and Electoral Commission regulations.
A spokesperson for the company that made the donation has stated that the loan from the Development Bank of Wales was not used to support the donation to Gething, but rather for economic growth purposes. The outcome of the review and any potential further actions remain to be determined.
