“a clear lack of judgement”- Welsh Lib Dems react to news that Labour FM hopeful accepted £200k from serial environmental offender

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Yesterday (22nd February 2024) the Welsh Liberal Democrats reacted to the news that the Welsh Labour Leadership candidate Vaughan Gething accepted a £200k donation from a company run by a man who was convicted twice for environmental offences.

David Neal, who donated £200,000 to Vaughan Gething’s leadership campaign, received a 3-month suspended prison sentence in 2013 for illegally dumping waste at a conservation site on the Gwent levels.

His companies Atlantic Recycling and Neal Soil Suppliers were also prosecuted and given fines and costs of £202,000.

Then in 2017, Mr Neal was given another suspended sentence of 18 weeks, with fines and costs of £230,000 after failing to remove the waste.

Mr Gething has vowed to introduce tougher penalties for those who break environmental rules.

The Welsh Lib Dems have described the decision by Mr Gething to accept the donation as a “clear lack of judgement”.

Commenting, the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said:

“I am very disappointed to hear that the Welsh Labour leadership candidate Vaughan Gething has accepted a donation of £200,000 from a serial environmental offender, a decision that shows a clear lack of judgement.

Just this past year alone we have seen the harmful impact that neglectful polluters can have on our environment.

Many people in Wales are rightfully concerned about this issue and there is no doubt they will be questioning Mr Gethings decision.

We as a nation must take a serious stance against illegal sewage and waste dumpers.

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