Minister's conduct as an AM triggers warning from Assembly Standards Commissioner

Wales
Cardiff
Michelle Brown
North Wales
Friday 29 June 2018 at 2:43pm

Welsh Government minister Hannah Blythyn was wrong to publicise a complaint that she made on behalf of the Labour Group about UKIP AM Michelle Brown, the Assembly Standards Commissioner has decided. Ms Blythyn was acting not as a minister -it was before she was appointed to the Welsh Government- but as chair of the group when she complained to the Commissioner about allegedly racist remarks made by Michelle Brown.

UKIP AM Michelle Brown was suspended from the Senedd for seven days after a complaint that she had made racist remarks was upheld. Credit: Senedd TV

The Commissioner, Sir Roderick Evans, was clearly unimpressed by Hannah Blythyn's explanation that she released her letter of complaint "in the interests of full transparency". He feels that the principle of confidentiality has been undermined.

One of the purposes of dealing with complaints in confidence in this way is to protect Assembly Members against adverse publicity from a complaint which ultimately may be found to be without merit. "Interests of transparency" do not and cannot justify a unilateral decision to deviate from the confidentiality required. Public criticism by one politician of the beliefs, policies and conduct of another, usually of a different party, is the stuff of politics. However, when that criticism is turned into a formal complaint and and the fact that the complaint has been made is itself publicised, suspicions are aroused, rightly or wrongly, that the Assembly's complaints procedure is being used to make a political point ... I will jealously guard against the danger of my office being used in that way. If a Member publicises the fact that he or she has made a complaint to me about a fellow Member, I shall regard that as strong evidence of a potential breach of the Code of Conduct.

Sir Roderick has made his remarks in letters sent to the chairs of each of the Assembly's four political groups. He asks them to pass his warning on to all AMs.

Hannah Blythyn has escaped disciplinary action but the Standards Commissioner has made it clear that he won't tolerate anyone else behaving as she did. Credit: Senedd TV

Sir Roderick also points out another problem caused by Hannah Blythyn's letter. Because the complaint was made on behalf the whole Labour group, it meant that no Labour AM was allowed to sit on the committee that decided what sanction to recommend in Michelle Brown's case.