Vaughan Gething: Council leader warns Labour from taking waste cash

Andrew Morgan is leader of the Welsh Local Government Association and Rhondda Cynon Taf council.

It is not yet clear how much cash is unspent from Mr Gething’s campaign, and how much of that might be from Dauson Environmental Group.

The £200,000 donation was controversial because the owner of the group, David John Neal, has twice been convicted of environmental offences.

Mr Gething raised more than £250,000.

Andrew Morgan, who was a significant supporter of Vaughan Gething’s rival Jeremy Miles during the leadership campaign, told the BBC Walescast podcast that if he had been in Mr Gething’s position he “probably” would not have taken the money.

“I don’t think anything untoward would happen, in terms of having preferential treatment etc, because there’s too many safeguards for that.”

He said the real issue was “public perception”.

“From my point of view… probably I would have just have said no, and looked for funding elsewhere.”

He added: “Because of the huge public and media kind of storm around this, my own gut feeling would be, [it would] probably be better if maybe the party didn’t accept it – but that’s not for me to decide.

“I’m not sure if it goes to Welsh Labour or if it actually will go to the national [UK] party.”

Last weekend Jeremy Miles told BBC Politics Wales he would not have accepted the money.