Campaigners call for £10,000 cap on donations

CAMPAIGNERS have called for a £10,000 cap on political donations following controversy over a £200,000 donation that led to the downfall of former first minister Vaughan Gething, writes Chris Haines.

- Chris Haines

Mr Gething, who broke no rules, was forced to stand down after accepting the donation from a convicted polluter's company during the 2024 Welsh Labour leadership race.

Before resigning, the former first minister - who outspent rival Jeremy Miles by £254,600 to £61,800 - urged the Senedd’s standards committee to look into reforming donation rules.

Now, in evidence to the committee's resulting inquiry, witnesses have warned a lack of limits on donations, and a high threshold for reporting, risk damaging public confidence.

Transparency International UK, an anti-corruption nonprofit organisation, said the row over the £200,000 donation has correlated with low levels of trust in the Welsh Government. The group called for a £10,000 cap on contributions to candidates standing in internal elections from any individual or organisation, with limits on how much can be spent.