Kirsty Williams, leader of the Welsh Lib Dems, has condemned Labour’s environment minister Alun Davies – sacked today by First Minister Carwyn Jones – for mounting a smear campaign. Mr Davies had asked for details of farm subsidies paid to five opposition AMs: Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies and Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams, Conservative AM Antoinette Sandbach, Liberal Democrat William Powell and Plaid Cymru’s Llyr Gruffydd.
Here’s Kirsty Williams’ response:
The actions of Alun Davies as a Minister are atrocious and completely unacceptable for anyone serving in public office. The fact that Alun Davies used his Ministerial office to start a smear campaign against those that dared to hold him to account is disgraceful.
Alun Davies has been mired with controversy throughout his ministerial term. Aside from the actions that have come to light today, his inappropriate lobbying over the Circuit of Wales left the ministerial rule book in tatters. His behaviour has left the First Minister with no choice but to sack him, but the fact that this was not done sooner calls into question the First Minister’s own judgement.
It is thoroughly disappointing that it has taken the First Minister this long to act and sack Alun Davies. This whole situation has been handled shambolically from the beginning by the First Minister, and is yet another embarrassing chapter for this floundering Welsh Labour Government.
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6 Comments
I’m not sure complaining about the time taken to sack him is the best course of action when the LDs have been so slow in taking action over their own MPs that have behaved inappropriately.
If you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear.
That first sentence is meant to convey irony but my deeper point is that if you are getting a subsidy from the state – whether it be Brussels, Westminster or wherever – and you are part of a coalition that is carrying out a war on “the feckless” and sanctioning their benefits – shouldn’t people know about the hypocrisy?
And also, isn’t this information declared in the register of interests of Assembly Members anyway?
So does Kirsty Williams receive a subsidy, and how much is it?
@Tsar Nicholas “And also, isn’t this information declared in the register of interests of Assembly Members anyway?”
This confused me a bit. The BBC reports “Mr Davies was told by his staff that the information was not publicly available, but asked again for it to be provided.” (http://www.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/wales-28207454), suggesting that his offence was attempting to find out this confidential information and use it for political reasons. But regardless of Alun Davies’ attempt to dig up political ammunition, this begs the question, why aren’t these facts in the public domain, especially for politicians? How much money do Kirsty Williams, William Powell, and other AMs from all parties receive as farm subsidies and why wouldn’t they want voters to know?
@g
I doubt that Kirsty receives a subsidy.
Her husband’s farming business may well receive public money. Unless it is different from that which should be received I don’t see why that’s significant.
crewegwyn,
Do you think politicians, particularly party leaders, should declare any financial or other interest their household has in any matter which they vote upon?