Permit me a frustrated thread please.
I have been trying to get more insights into the £200k donation Vaughan Gething took from a company that also put in a request for a solar farm in Cardiff.
The evasion and entitlement on display is ridiculous.
Let me explain.
[Thread]
I have been trying to get more insights into the £200k donation Vaughan Gething took from a company that also put in a request for a solar farm in Cardiff.
The evasion and entitlement on display is ridiculous.
Let me explain.
[Thread]
If you are new to this the details of the initial investigation are below.
You can't possibly read this and not think there are serious questions to answer.
But neither Mr Gething, or the many Welsh Labour politicians who support him will answer them?!
You can't possibly read this and not think there are serious questions to answer.
But neither Mr Gething, or the many Welsh Labour politicians who support him will answer them?!
https://twitter.com/WillHayCardiff/status/1762138337865871864
I have approached both VG and every Welsh Labour MP, MS and Council Leader who has declared support for him.
I am astounded by their responses. Let's start with the responses from Vaughan Gething himself.
I am astounded by their responses. Let's start with the responses from Vaughan Gething himself.
When I approached Mr Gething’s campaign I asked them the following questions:
- Was he aware of the application when he accepted the donation?
- Now he is aware of it, will he be returning the donation?
- Does he think this could be perceived as a conflict of interest?
- Was he aware of the application when he accepted the donation?
- Now he is aware of it, will he be returning the donation?
- Does he think this could be perceived as a conflict of interest?
To this I got a very weak response. They simply said (taken from the Will Hayward Newsletter):
Now the eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that this doesn’t answer any of the questions I asked.
Of course, politicians will often be evasive but this response is pathetic.
His campaign also indicated VG was unaware of the application before he took the donation but this raises even more questions.
Of course, politicians will often be evasive but this response is pathetic.
His campaign also indicated VG was unaware of the application before he took the donation but this raises even more questions.
Yesterday I approached Mr Gething again and asked:
Again they responded by completely dodging what are perfectly legitimate questions. They said:
This is the election to choose the man who is going to be running our schools and hospitals.
He won’t be elected by the people of Wales to that position but rather by Labour members.
The very he can do is answer perfectly legitimate questions about donations that raise important questions.
He won’t be elected by the people of Wales to that position but rather by Labour members.
The very he can do is answer perfectly legitimate questions about donations that raise important questions.
But what about all the Labour politicians who support him?
They all went very quiet in the aftermath of story breaking on Monday.
Surely some of them will at least address these legitimate and serious questions? NOPE.
They all went very quiet in the aftermath of story breaking on Monday.
Surely some of them will at least address these legitimate and serious questions? NOPE.
I approached all the MSs, MPs and council leaders who have declared their support for Mr Gething and asked them:
I approached all of the following MPs, council leaders and one lord:
Chris Bryant MP
Mark Tami MP
Nick Thomas-Symonds MP
Cllr Huw Thomas
Wayne David MP
Stephen Kinnock MP
Jess Morden MP
Stephen Doughty MP
Lord Murphy
Ruth Jones MP
Only Mark Tami replied saying:
Chris Bryant MP
Mark Tami MP
Nick Thomas-Symonds MP
Cllr Huw Thomas
Wayne David MP
Stephen Kinnock MP
Jess Morden MP
Stephen Doughty MP
Lord Murphy
Ruth Jones MP
Only Mark Tami replied saying:
On one hand, at least he replied. On the other, he didn’t address the issue.
As for the others, their refusal to respond is, imo, weak and pathetic.
They have publicly backed Mr Gething as the best man for the job, and now they can't even answer important questions around transparency?
I guarantee you they wouldn't be quiet if this was a Tory.
As for the others, their refusal to respond is, imo, weak and pathetic.
They have publicly backed Mr Gething as the best man for the job, and now they can't even answer important questions around transparency?
I guarantee you they wouldn't be quiet if this was a Tory.
The Senedd Members sent me a joint statement where they also all completely ignored important questions regarding ethics and scrutiny.
The following statement was from Jayne Bryant MS (Campaign Co-Chair), Ken Skates MS (Campaign Co-Chair),Vikki Howells MS, Jack Sargeant MS, Hefin David MS, Joyce Watson, MS, Lynne Neagle MS, Dawn Bowden MS, Rebecca Evans MS:
The following statement was from Jayne Bryant MS (Campaign Co-Chair), Ken Skates MS (Campaign Co-Chair),Vikki Howells MS, Jack Sargeant MS, Hefin David MS, Joyce Watson, MS, Lynne Neagle MS, Dawn Bowden MS, Rebecca Evans MS:
Politicians utterly failing to front up to legitimate questions is what turns people off politics.
I repeat, imagine how they would howl and rage with indignation if it was the Tories doing this.
I repeat, imagine how they would howl and rage with indignation if it was the Tories doing this.
This inclination to refuse to answer legitimate questions from the very people who say that Wales and Welsh democracy should be respected is, IMO, hypocritical.
Refusing to engage is disrespecting Wales and the people who live here.
Refusing to engage is disrespecting Wales and the people who live here.
Rant over, please subscribe to my news letter where this story was broken.
It is actually quite good.
In my humble opinion.
It is actually quite good.
In my humble opinion.
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