A POLITICAL row over £200,000 of donations from a company convicted for environmental dumping to Vaughan Gething’s Welsh Labour leadership bid deepened at the weekend.

Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies wrote to First Minister Mark Drakeford demanding an investigation under the ministerial code after the news broke during a live leadership hustings event on BBC Wales.

The Welsh government was tight-lipped about what action Mr Drakeford would take over the conduct of his potential successor.

A spokeswoman told the Star that the letter from Mr Davies would “receive a response in the usual way.”

The damaging row broke out after two donations of £100,000 from a company called Dauson Environmental Group, based within Mr Gething’s Cardiff South and Penarth constituency were registered.

The two entries were published on the Electoral Commission register of political donations after they were registered with the Commission on February 7.

Dauson Environmental Group is run by David Neal, who was given a suspended prison sentence in 2013 for dumping waste on a conservation site.

Four years later he was given another suspended prison sentence for failing to remove the waste.

Leading Welsh Labour politicians like deputy minister Lee Waters and Rhonda Cynon Taf council leader Andrew Morgan have broken ranks and publicly criticised the donations. 

A spokesman for Mr Gething’s campaign team said: “Dauson Environmental Group Limited has donated to Vaughan Gething’s leadership campaign. 

“All donations are declared to the Senedd and the Electoral Commission in line with the rules and Vaughan’s commitment to transparency.

“We have been in touch with the firm and been assured it is addressing the issues and is on course to meet Natural Resources Wales’s timetable.”