First Minister urged to ‘do the right thing’ amid donation controversy

Published

2 years ago

May 6, 2024

A FORMER minister urged Vaughan Gething to “do the right thing” and return a £200,000 leadership campaign donation from a convicted environmental polluter.

Lee Waters, who was the deputy minister for climate change until last month, described accepting the donation from Dauson Environmental Group as unjustifiable and wrong.

He said: “£200,000 is a staggering amount, unprecedented in Welsh politics, and over four times larger than the £45,000 spending cap the Labour Party sets to ensure a fair contest.

“The fact it came from a waste company with a conviction for damaging the Gwent levels, at a time when some of us were fighting hard to protect this sensitive area, really shocked me.”

He made the comments as the Senedd debated Conservative calls for an independent investigation and Plaid Cymru proposals for a cap on donations.

He told the Senedd: “It would not be a sign of weakness to say it was a mistake to take the donation and now all the facts are known, to give it back.

“It can still be done – in my view it should be done – and sometimes doing the right thing is the hardest thing but you rarely regret it in the end.”

Mr Waters welcomed the appointment of Carwyn Jones, the former First Minister, to lead an internal review of Labour’s election processes, including campaign finances.

The Llanelli MS accused the Tories of double standards, saying two home secretaries, a chancellor and a former prime minister were found to have broken the ministerial code.

He said: “What did Rishi Sunak and the Welsh Conservatives have to say about that? Not a dicky-bird. We can all see through their double standards.”

Andrew RT Davies criticised Vaughan Gething for failing to turn up at the start of the debate on his responsibilities and leaving it to another minister to respond.

He raised concerns about a £400,000 loan to a subsidiary company of Dauson from the Welsh Government-owned Development Bank in the same financial year as the donation.

Stressing that the donation was correctly declared and there was no rule-breaking, the Tory group leader said perception of a conflict of interest has caused considerable public disquiet.

Rhun ap Iorwerth described the First Minister’s “nothing-to-see-here” attitude as at best complacent and at worst contemptuous towards the electorate.

“People will come to their own judgement about his absence this afternoon,” he said.

Plaid Cymru’s leader warned: “This chapter raises broader concern about the fundamental health of our democracy. There is a risk of a poison affecting our politics here.”

Jane Dodds, the Lib Dems’ leader in Wales, agreed that the episode has cast a dark shadow over Welsh democracy as she urged Mr Gething to give the money back.

She argued the wider goal should be to eradicate big money from our politics.

Adam Price, the Plaid Cymru MS for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, said some people will perceive that the First Minister’s job was bought as a result of a donation in a close election.

He told the chamber: “No-one should ever be left thinking money talks, that money is able to control the future of our politics, of our democracy.”

Hefin David, the Labour MS for Caerphilly, described the row as a non-issue.

He stressed the donation was properly registered and Mark Drakeford instigated an investigation while he was First Minister, finding no breach of the ministerial code.

Dr David said: “We are, for the first time, asking for a politician who’s obeyed all the rules – demonstrably obeyed all the rules – to be investigated, and I think that is frankly absurd.”

Raising concerns about hypocrisy, he highlighted six-figure donations to Plaid Cymru.

Alun Davies, a fellow Labour backbencher, who represents Blaenau Gwent, advocated introducing a fit-and-proper-persons test for political donations.

Jack Sargeant, the Labour MS for Alyn and Deeside, raised trade unions’ concerns about the potential unintended consequences of a cap on donations.

Jane Hutt, responding for the Welsh Government, stressed there is no link between the donation and any arm’s-length loan decision made by the Development Bank.

She said the First Minister, who took his seat in the chamber more than an hour into the debate just before the vote, has complied with all the relevant rules.

Ms Hutt, who is chief whip and trefnydd, the Senedd’s equivalent of the leader of the house, did not say whether she would have accepted the donation when questioned.

The Conservative motion was narrowly rejected 25-27 following the debates on May 1, while Plaid Cymru’s motion was defeated 11-27 with 14 abstentions.

Holiday lets allowed to stay at Narberth dairy farm

Published

12 minutes ago

December 5, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL for a Pembrokeshire dairy farm to keep two “alternative” holiday pods sited without permission as a way of diversifying in an uncertain industry has been given the go-ahead.

In an application recommended for approval at the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, Vaynor Farm Ltd sought retrospective permission for the siting of two self-catering holiday accommodation pods at The Cart House, Vaynor Farm, Bethesda, near Narberth as part of a farm diversification enterprise.

It was before committee members as it was recommended for delegated conditional approval by senior officers despite being against the development plan.

Previous retrospective schemes, for two self-catering pods along with an application to retain a shepherd hut accommodation pod at another farm, a part of the Vaynor Farm farm enterprise, were refused in 2023 and 2025, the latter due to “an unjustified and harmful impact on the character and appearance of the open countryside”.

Detailing the current application, an officer report for members said the pods: Vaynor Farm Pod within the garden of The Cart House, and The Paddock Pod, on the edge of a small paddock, were constructed off-site and have been transported to their current locations, with external decking, hot tubs, a barbecue area and car parking provided for each pod.

It added: “A business plan has been submitted with the application, which explains that due to uncertainties associated with dairy farming, the applicant has sought to diversify the farm enterprise to incorporate tourism accommodation.

“The application makes the case that the proposed development represents farm diversification. It is acknowledged that the development has resulted in the provision of an alternative type of holiday accommodation for which it has been demonstrated there is a demand, contributing to the diversity and quality of accommodation available within the county and supporting an existing farm business, with consequent economic and social benefits.

“Evidence has been provided that demonstrates the extent to which the pods have provided income which has been used to support the farm business.

“However, officers consider that should planning permission be granted, a [planning obligation] will be necessary to ensure that the accommodation pods continue to support the farm business and are not separated from it at some future point in time.”

Delegated conditional approval limiting the use and occupation of the self-catering accommodation pods to short term holiday use only was moved by Cllr Brian Hall and unanimously backed by committee members.

Farming

Eglwyswrw bungalow farming condition dropped after 33 years

Published

17 minutes ago

December 5, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

AN AGRICULTURAL worker-only condition imposed when a Pembrokeshire bungalow was built more than 30 years ago has been removed following a request to county planners.

In an application recommended for approval at the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, Pamela Griffiths sought permission for the removal of a previously imposed agricultural worker-only condition for bungalow Maes Yr Awel, Eglwyswrw, near Crymych.

Members heard an application for a certificate of lawfulness allowing the applicant to stay at the bungalow, there having been a breach of that condition in excess of 10 years, had been granted earlier this year, the latest application seeking to remove the condition entirely.

An application for a certificate of lawfulness allows an applicant to stay at a development if they can provide proof of occupancy over a prolonged period.

A supporting statement for the earlier certificate of lawfulness said: “The dwelling was constructed in 1992 and has been occupied in breach of the occupancy restriction since February 2014, on the death of the applicant’s mother.”

It added: “The dwelling was substantially complete in 1992 and first occupied 28th January 1992. Mr EC and Mrs ME Griffiths were farmers and were the original occupiers of the property, together with their daughter, Ms P Griffiths, the applicant.

“There is no dispute that the condition was originally complied with by the applicants’ mother and father, but on the death of the applicants’ parents the applicant became the sole resident and has not been solely or mainly employed in agriculture at any time.”

A report for committee members said the removal of the condition was now recommended as the site benefitted from the lawfulness certificate and the agricultural condition remaining was “no longer considered reasonable”.

Approval was moved by Cllr Brian Hall and unanimously supported by committee members.

Farming

‘Poor decision’ New Creamston housing condition overturned

Published

9 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A “POOR DECISION” agricultural worker-only imposed nearly 40 years ago has been removed from a Pembrokeshire property by county planners.

In an application recommended to be approved at the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County council’s planning committee, Tim and Cathy Arthur sought permission for the removal of an agricultural worker-only condition at New Creamson, Creamston Road, near Haverfordwest.

An officer report for members said the agricultural condition was imposed when the dwelling was built in 1988/89, with a later certificate of lawful development granted this year after it was proven the site had been occupied for more than 10 years on breach of that condition.

An application for a certificate of lawfulness allows an applicant to stay at a development if they can provide proof of occupancy over a prolonged period.

Speaking at the meeting, agent Andrew Vaughan-Harries of Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd told members the original agriculture-only condition was a poor decision by planners back nearly four decades ago.

“When this application was made in 1988-89 we go back to the Preseli District Council – I was still in school – it was only a 50-acre farm, it should never have been approved as it shouldn’t have been viable.

“The current applicants have owned it for the last 20 years; they’ve tried to grow apples but couldn’t make a go of it and then went in to holiday lets. We can’t enforce redundant conditions from bad decisions made years ago.”

Approval was moved by Cllr Brian Hall and unanimously supported by committee members.