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Abolish blast ‘failure payments’ to former MS – without noting their own members were among them

16 Jul 2021 2 minute read
Former Abolish the Assembly Senedd Member, Mark Reckless. Picture by the National Assembly (CC BY 2.0)

Abolish the Assembly have blasted “failure payments” to Senedd Members who were not successfully re-elected – without noting that two of their own Senedd Members were among them.

The party complained that that candidates that were “unsuccessfully re-elected” received nearly £400,000 in total in resettlement grants.

They did not however mention that some of the unsuccessful candidates benefitting from the payouts had represented Abolish the Assembly during the previous Senedd term.

Mark Reckless, who joined Abolish the Assembly in 2020, stood for the party in Monmouth and South Wales East at the Senedd election. He received over £30,000 in resettlement grants, according to an FOI request by WalesOnline.

Gareth Bennett was another Abolish the Assembly MS, although he eventually stood as an independent in Cynon Valley, coming last. He also received over £30,000 in resettlement grants.

‘Large’

Despite this, Abolish the Assembly put a post on their Facebook page blasting the practice, saying that it showed the Senedd to be a “gravy train”.

“I am sure that the many people who have lost their jobs in Wales due to the Pandemic, or those who struggle to get a job, would appreciate any payment let alone one so large,” they said.

“If this does not show us that the Assembly/Senedd is nothing but a gravy train, nothing will.”

There were 13 MSs who received payouts after the election. Those who chose not to stand again do not receive the payment. The amounts are determined by the independent Remuneration Board.

Despite being included in the main BBC debate on the basis of promising polling numbers, Abolish the Assembly failed to see a single member elected to the Senedd in May.

Abolish the Assembly’s Facebook page also included “exciting news” that they were reducing the number of social media pages from seven to two, and also a “flash sale” on Abolish merchandise.


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Hannergylch
Hannergylch
3 years ago

If we didn’t have resettlement grants for politicians who get voted out, then politics would be an occupation reserved for the independently wealthy. A resettlement grant is equivalent to a redundancy payment for any other worker who loses his/her job. If Abolish were to argue that there’s an unfair size-difference between ex-politicians’ resettlement grants and ordinary workers’ redundancy pay, then perhaps they’d have a point (I haven’t looked at the numbers, so I don’t know). But that’s not what they’re saying. They’re saying that politics should be the preserve of the independently wealthy, while simultaneously taking advantage of the mechanism… Read more »

hdavies15
hdavies15
3 years ago
Reply to  Hannergylch

I’m amazed, even amused that you still expect a modicum of consistency from these panto clowns. Reckless, the political nomad and chancer, is a prime example of the sort of shyster who should never be welcome in the Welsh political arena. Parachuted in, or did he drop himself in, I can’t remember, but only here to denigrate and whine about anything and everything. Best out of the way back in Essex or the Thames Estuary ( or under it !). Similarly the other wally, Hamilton the Kipper, very anti Welsh but quick to point that he was raised here as… Read more »

Last edited 3 years ago by hdavies15
Lyndespair
Lyndespair
3 years ago
Reply to  hdavies15

To be fair, she doesn’t anywhere imply in the least that she’s expecting consistency from them. She’s just pointing out their hypocrisy and perhaps dimness too (they may or may not realise that they would be reserving politics for the independently wealthy, as it used to be before Asquith).

Phil Davies
Phil Davies
3 years ago
Reply to  Hannergylch

They’re on more than £67500 a year, overnight stays in Cardiff paid for if needed, mileage allowance, meals allowances, office expenses covered and lots of other perks and you want us to pay a golden goodbye when they’re done? .. Unbelievable!

Kneeling to no one
Kneeling to no one
3 years ago
Reply to  Phil Davies

One annual salary is close to 10x the annual old age pension yet these parasites expect even more money when they are kicked out!

Phil Davies
Phil Davies
3 years ago

..They’ll also have a very generous pension when it’s their time to retire, too.

Chris
Chris
3 years ago

Who cares what Abolish think? The electorate roundly rejected them

Nick Randall-Smith
Nick Randall-Smith
3 years ago

Abolish Abolish!

Wrexhamian
Wrexhamian
3 years ago

Ha ha! I love a bit of irony with my cornflakes. Their party contributed nothing to the work of the Senedd while they were in their UKIP manifestation and in the process wasted a vast amount of Welsh taxpayers’ money in the form of salaries.

Think I’ll give the flash sale a miss.

Leigh Richards
Leigh Richards
3 years ago

“flash sale on abolish merchandise”??? Am sure there’ll be a stampede 😂 . Would have been more ‘exciting news’ if they were reducing their social media pages from seven to zero 😉. The welsh electorate abolished these Wales haters on May 6th….nuff said

Quornby
Quornby
3 years ago

Er…. “Abolish” Who are they?

Phil Davies
Phil Davies
3 years ago

I wouldn’t mind a payment of 30 grand for losing a job I’d held for only 5 or 6 years!.
Maybe the Independent Remuneration Board should be abolished. They’re the ones who give MPs huge rises every year. MP’s then bleat ‘Pay award’s nothing to do with us.. It’s compulsory ‘cos the Remuneration Board awards it. Sickening gravy train.

Mr Williams
Mr Williams
3 years ago

I’d forgotten about Mark Reckless. Ha ha ha.

j humphrys
j humphrys
3 years ago
Reply to  Mr Williams

Do you mean, you really didn’t hide your spoons?

Richard Y Cymro
Richard Y Cymro
3 years ago

Personally speaking. I don’t think anyone leaving office by the ballot box, unless receiving their week in hand, should receive thousands of Welsh Taxpayers money in a golden handshake , especially ones like bigoted & regressive UKIP, Brexit Party & Abolish who wanted to dissolve our Senedd Cymru and effectively reintroduce the WelshNot in their manifestos of muck and grime. Abolish and fellow Cymrophobes did absolutely nothing for Wales during their time in office serving themselves. And yes that was some truthful irony. And whoever voted for these gaggle of failed Conservatives should hang their sorry heads in shame. And… Read more »

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