Counsel General apologises after calling Senedd member ‘lady’
Emily Price
The Welsh Government’s chief law officer has apologised after referring to a Member of the Senedd as “lady” during an exchange in the chamber.
The incident involving Counsel General Elfyn Llwyd and Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds took place during Plenary proceedings on Tuesday (30 June).
Ms Dodds had questioned the newly appointed Counsel General over what she described as an unfair system affecting Powys patients living near the English border.
The Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd MS called on the chief legal adviser to consider whether the current statutory framework could be challenged to allow Powys residents to access English hospitals under the same waiting-time rules as patients in England.
Mr Llwyd argued that the matter was not his responsibility and that in his role as Counsel General he could only give legal advice when called upon to do so by the Welsh Government.
In his response, he referred to Ms Dodds as “the lady” before correcting himself and describing her as “the Member”.
Wrapping up the question, Presiding Officer Huw Irranca-Davies thanked the Counsel General for clarifying the distinction between his role and that of the relevant cabinet secretary.
However, Ms Dodds intervened.
Addressing the Counsel General directly, she said: “I’m so sorry. I’m sure you didn’t mean to say this, but you referred to me as ‘a lady’, and I really don’t find that acceptable.”
Mr Llwyd replied: “I do apologise if that’s offensive. Sorry.”
The Senedd’s Standing Orders do not prescribe a specific form of address for Members during proceedings.
However, Members of the Welsh Parliament usually refer to one another simply as “the Member”.
Mr Llwyd previously served as an MP at Westminster for 23 years before being appointed as the Welsh Government’s chief legal advisor following the election of a Plaid Cymru government in May.
In the House of Commons, parliamentary convention differs to that of the Senedd.
MPs typically refer to party colleagues as “my honourable friend” and to members of rival parties as “the honourable gentleman” or “the honourable lady”.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
This is wokery gone absolutely crazy! Get a grip then Dodds! Pathetic
And what exactly is wokery supposed to mean!
Can’t say I’m shocked that a man with a track record of dismissive attitudes to patronising and misogynistic language towards women would think that’s acceptable.
I understand he’s beloved by sections of the Plaid base, but I find it hard to believe there wasn’t someone else more suitable for the CG role.
Good. Grief. The Senedd has had millions to fund its extra AMs and, as we all predicted, it has somehow become even more childish and further detached from reality. Walkouts over words, pearl-clutching over ‘lady’. People are struggling to get by and the level of privalige is etraordinary.