UK Controversy: MP Accused of Diverting Ventilators to Cuba After Allegedly 'Stealing' Proposal

A Welsh volunteer has formally accused Labor MP Steve Witherden of plagiarizing a letter he personally delivered, which requested the donation of 40 unused ventilators to Ukraine. Instead, Witherden allegedly redirected the initiative to send the equipment to Cuba, according to BBC Wales.

Steve Eccleshall, a retired police officer and volunteer for the charity Driving Ukraine, met with Witherden on February 6 in Powys, near the Welsh border. He handed over a letter requesting the release of approximately 40 ventilators stored at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, according to the British media.

The ventilators had been supplied by the Welsh government at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic but were never used due to compatibility issues with the hospital systems, remaining in storage containers.

Eccleshall claims Witherden shook his hand, praised his efforts for Ukraine, and offered his assistance.

However, just three days later, on February 9, Witherden sent his own letter to the Betsi Cadwaladr health board, requesting those same ventilators be donated to Cuba, not Ukraine.

The letter was signed by Witherden in his capacity as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cuba. Eccleshall learned of its existence through a source within the National Health Service (NHS) who provided him with a copy.

Both letters, accessed by BBC Wales, contain nearly identical passages: they mention that the 40 ventilators are in a shipping container, incompatible with Wrexham Maelor systems, and were supplied at the pandemic's start by the Welsh government.

"There is a trust issue: you are my MP, I presented an idea to you. You said you'd help me, and in three days, you stole it," Eccleshall told BBC Wales.

"To steal the entire concept and say nothing seems simply dishonest," the volunteer added.

Formal Complaint Filed Against MP

Eccleshall has filed a formal complaint with the UK Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, accusing Witherden of "duplicity and dishonesty," stating his request placed the health board in an "unenviable position" with two conflicting proposals.

"Both the people of Ukraine and Cuba are harmed by Witherden's duplicity and dishonesty," he wrote in the complaint.

Witherden, an active advocate for the Cuban regime in the British Parliament, visited the island in October 2025. In his letter, he argued that Trump's policy to block oil shipments to Cuba had "worsened a humanitarian crisis."

Cuba is experiencing one of its worst energy crises in decades, with blackouts lasting up to 30 hours daily, 300 ambulances out of service, and 96,000 surgeries delayed. This situation has been exacerbated by an Executive Order signed by Donald Trump in January, declaring Cuba an "extraordinary threat" and imposing tariffs on countries supplying it with oil.

Trump partially eased these measures in the following months, though the crisis on the island continues.

The Betsi Cadwaladr health board confirmed receiving requests to consider the medical equipment for donation to both Ukraine and Cuba. They are evaluating the financial and governance implications, as the ventilators are considered institutional assets.

The Welsh government has stated that formal approval would be needed to donate the goods and that it has not yet received any request from the health board.

Witherden has not responded to BBC Wales' requests for comment. The case is now in the hands of the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, who will determine if the MP's conduct breaches the British Parliament's Code of Conduct.