Plaid peer appointed to two taxpayer-funded Senedd roles

Emily Price 

A Plaid Cymru peer has been appointed to two taxpayer-funded Senedd support staff positions.

Baroness Carmen Smith of Llanfaes declared in the House of Lords Register of Interests that she is employed as a policy and research officer for Fflint Wrecsam MS Carrie Harper and as a senior adviser to Afan Ogwr Rhondda MS Elyn Stephens.

Both Senedd Members are newly elected, having won their seats for the first time at the Welsh election in May.

Baroness Smith has listed her new support staff roles in her declaration of interests as being funded by the Senedd Commission, which is financed by Welsh taxpayers.

It is not known how much the life peer is being paid for the two Senedd support staff roles.

Nation.Cymru asked Plaid Cymru a series of questions:

*What was the recruitment process for appointing Baroness Smith to these two roles, and why was she considered for them given that she already serves in the House of Lords representing Wales’ interests?

*Are both of these support staff positions full-time?

*Are they permanent or fixed-term appointments?

*Is there any concern that holding two additional roles within a different legislature could detract from Baroness Smith’s responsibilities in the House of Lords?

*Are the two roles ‘work from home’ positions or is Baroness Smith required to carry them out in person at the Senedd?

A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: “Carmen has as a wealth of experience to offer, drawing on her role in the houses of parliament and from her previous role in the Senedd – working a combination of short number days per month to support the Members of the Senedd in their new roles.

“The Member has therefore declared the relevant interests in line with the rules, as part of her commitment to ensuring transparency to the public.”

‘Hypocrital’

Baroness Smith previously worked for Plaid Cymru’s Senedd group as chief of staff under the party’s former leader Adam Price, taking on the role at the age of 25.

In 2024, she became the House of Lords’ youngest ever life peer at 28-years-old taking on the title Baroness Smith of Llanfaes after the village on Ynys Môn where she grew up.

Since taking her seat, she has made ongoing calls for the House of Lords to be abolished and replaced with an elected second chamber.

Last month she presented a Private Member’s Bill setting out a framework to replace the institution.

Baroness Smith of Llanfaes is not paid a formal annual salary for her work in the House of Lords, as peers are generally unsalaried.

However, she is eligible to claim a tax-free daily attendance allowance of up to £371, in addition to reimbursed travel expenses for days she attends the chamber.

She has previously been considered among the most active peers in terms of doing the work to scrutinise, amend and move government legislation through the chamber.

In May last year, Baroness Smith was accused of breaking her promise to be full-time member of the Lords after her declaration of interests revealed that she was working as an adviser on diversity and inclusion matters to Plaid Cymru and as an adviser on youth governance to Windward Global Limited (renewable energy) – two roles she now no longer holds.

At the time, a spokesperson for Plaid Cymru in Westminster said Baroness Smith’s parliamentary duties “take precedence over all other commitments”.

A Welsh Labour source said: “Baroness Smith entered the Lords saying she wanted to see it abolished.

“Now it seems she’s not content with one publicly funded job, but feels the need to have three.

“All while her party continue to claim they stand up for Wales and call for fairer funding. It’s hypocritical to say the least.”