Awkward Senedd exchange raises questions over Reform’s preparedness

Emily Price 

Doubts have been raised about Reform’s readiness to operate as an effective opposition in the Senedd after one of its MSs appeared confused about how to ask a question during Plenary proceedings.

Casnewydd Islwyn MS Art Wright was described as “totally embarrassing” by political sources following questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality on Wednesday (10 June).

Mr Wright was the second MS to be called by the Llywydd during the session to put a question to Sioned Williams.

Members can ask one pre-tabled question and once the Minister replies, the Member automatically gets one follow-up – or “supplementary” – question related to the topic, which does not need to be submitted in advance.

Reading his pre-tabled question from a piece of paper, Mr Wright asked: “What are the government’s plans to implement single sex spaces in Wales in accordance of the law?”

Ms Williams said the Welsh Government is taking forward implementation of the law in Wales “in a way that is clear, consistent and workable”, while ensuring that all people are treated with “dignity and respect”.

However, when Mr Wright should have stood to deliver his supplementarity question, he instead read out a short sentence from a piece of paper before quickly sitting down.

He said: “I have tabled the question today out of provenance from a direct ask from concerned citizens and many women’s advocacy groups across Wales who are tired of waiting for the protections our laws set out.”

As Senedd TV cameras showed Members exchanging bewildered looks, the Deputy First Minister replied: “I didn’t hear a question there, so I’ll leave it there.”

A political source told Nation.Cymru: “Reform said they’d hold the new Welsh Government to account, but they can’t even read out a prepared question from the sheet in front of them.

“Good governance in Wales relies on good scrutiny from opposition parties, but Reform are either incapable or uninterested in providing it.”

We asked Mr Wright whether he was aware that he was expected to ask a follow-up question and, if he had intended to ask a supplementary, what that question would have been.

The Reform MS did not respond.

It comes after shadow cabinet minister Jason O Connell was accused last week of offering little more than “soundbites” after his Senedd debut saw him reading from a long script which included slogans and catch phrases used by Reform during the Senedd election campaign.

It is unusual to have a Senedd that is around 70 per cent new Members, all of which are currently undertaking an ongoing programme of training on how to participate in debates and other parliamentary procedures.

Reform’s election hopefuls also underwent media and candidate training conducted by TV presenter Jeremy Kyle which included mock interviews.