Ex Plaid Cymru councillor banned for three years after admitting fraud

Martin Shipton

A former high-flying Plaid Cymru candidate for the then National Assembly has been banned from standing for election to any council in Wales for three years after accepting a caution for fraud.

Iwan Huws resigned as a member of Gwynedd council last year.

In 2011 he was the Plaid Assembly candidate in Aberconwy, a seat that was held by the party at the time. He was, however, defeated by the Conservative candidate, Janet Finch-Saunders, who has been re-elected on two occasions since.

A judgment by the Adjudication Panel for Wales, which decides on penalties for councillors who have breached the code of conduct, states: “A Case Tribunal convened by the President of the Adjudication Panel for Wales has considered a reference in respect of [Iwan Huws].

“The Adjudication Panel for Wales received a referral from the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales in relation to allegations made against former councillor Huws that he had breached the Gwynedd County Council Code of Conduct by accepting a conditional caution for the offence of “Fraud by misuse of office” in an attempt to defraud his employer by the misuse of money.

“It was considered reasonable that a conditional caution and the Member’s misconduct brought his office and his county council into disrepute.

“The Case Tribunal determined its adjudication by way of written evidence and representations at a meeting on December 17 2025 which was held by way of remote video-conferencing. The Case Tribunal unanimously found that the councillor had acted in breach of the Code.

“The Case Tribunal concluded by unanimous decision that the former councillor should be disqualified from acting as a member for any relevant authority … for a period of three years.” The tribunal was chaired by Judge Meleri Tudur.

No more detail has been provided about the fraudulent activity Mr Huws engaged in.

National Trust

Mr Huws, from Y Felinheli, which is where he represented on Gwynedd council, is a former executive of environmental governing bodies. He previously served as chief executive of the Snowdonia National Park and as the Welsh director of the National Trust.

When he was selected as Plaid’s Assembly candidate for Aberconwy, the party’s then leader Ieuan Wyn Jones said: “The challenging times ahead need an experienced and ambitious team to move Wales forward.
“With Gareth Jones retiring in May, the people of Aberconwy need a strong and effective AM to continue his exceptional work and represent their interests in the Senedd.

“I’m therefore delighted that someone of Iwan’s quality will be part of our team. He brings a wealth of experience, skill and drive to Plaid’s campaign, and I know that if elected, Iwan would be a first class Assembly Member for the people of Aberconwy.”

Mr Huws said; “I’m delighted to have been selected by Plaid Cymru to defend the seat of Aberconwy and I’m looking forward to hitting the campaign trail across the constituency in the remaining five months before the election.

“Having worked in communities across the constituency for many years, I believe that I’m somebody who truly understands the priorities and needs of the area I seek to represent.

“Aberconwy, and Wales as a whole has got some challenging times ahead, my focus over these times will be to ensure that our local health services are maintained and improved and that more high-quality jobs are created across our communities.”

Plaid Cymru retained the council seat formerly held by Mr Huws in a by-election.