Vaughan Gething donation: FM defends integrity in row

The first minister has said there are no "legitimate" questions about his integrity, in the row over donations to his leadership campaign.

Vaughan Gething has received criticism for accepting £200,000 from a company whose owner was twice convicted of environmental offences.

Mr Gething maintains the donation was properly declared and within the rules.

Questioned by a Senedd committee on Friday, he said he had been "honest" about what he had done and why.

He told the Scrutiny of the First Minister Committee: "This is actually about the reality that politics cost quite a lot of money.

"You've got to raise money, and you've then got to go out and set out what you want to do if you get the opportunity."

Mr Gething was responding to the Plaid Cymru MS Llyr Gruffydd, who said there were questions about his judgement "because we now know that you knew where the donation was coming from when you took the money".

The first minister said that he had "followed all the rules that I'm required to".

He said the donations involved a "business engaged in my constituency that has not just employed current members of my constituency, but also has improved what it has done in addressing those regulatory governance issues that were there".

Mr Gething promised the committee there would be no "watering down" and no "shift or downward turn" in his government's commitment to raising environmental standards.

But Mr Grufydd told the first minister that "many of your colleagues within your own party are saying they wouldn't have touched that money - you did".

"Surely, you have to reflect on that?"

Mr Gething said "there are no questions about my integrity that are real and legitimate here".

"I have been honest throughout this about what I have done and why."

Conservative MS James Evans told the first minister the "jury's still out at the minute" on whether he was the best person to lead the Welsh government.

"It's your job to reassure the public, who will be watching this today, that your judgement is sound, and that you make decisions in the best interests of Wales, and not just to become first minister of Wales," Mr Evans said.

Mr Gething said polling evidence "just doesn't support" claims that people had such concerns, in terms of the way they "feel about me and my first month in office".

He emphasised that his government remained focused on its priorities, including the cost of living crisis.

He said: the "reality that the tax burden for working people, is at record levels, the reality that we know we need to see improvement in our NHS that is intrinsically linked and tied up to our funding challenges as well".