Professional body asked to investigate Plaid Cymru candidate who is also a lobbyist
Martin Shipton
A complaint has been lodged against a Plaid Cymru Senedd candidate who doubles as a lobbyist over her involvement in a networking event where Plaid candidates were introduced to representatives of businesses and organisations.
The party has been criticised for participating in the “Meet The Candidates” session at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay organised by lobbying form Cavendish Consulting, one of whose directors, Nerys Evans, is herself a Plaid candidate.
Sir Gaerfyrddin
Ms Evans is second on Plaid’s list for the Sir Gaerfyrddin super-constituency, covering the whole of Carmarthenshire, and is expected to win a Senedd seat.
Responding to criticism that it was inappropriate for its candidates to meet lobbyists and that Ms Evans had a conflict of interest, a Plaid spokesperson said: “It’s standard practice for political parties to engage with a wide range of stakeholders. Plaid Cymru ensures this is done transparently and to a high ethical standard.”
Now a member of the public who does not wish to be identified has made a formal complaint about Ms Evans to the Public Relations and Communications Association’s Public Affairs Board, the professional group to which Cavendish belongs.
‘Potential breach’
The complaint states: “I am writing to lodge a formal complaint regarding a potential breach of the PRCA Public Affairs Code and the Public Affairs Board’s (PAB) rules by a director at Cavendish Consulting, who is also currently a Plaid Cymru Senedd candidate.
“On Thursday September 11, Cavendish Consulting hosted a corporate client event at the Wales Millennium Centre, attended by Plaid Cymru Senedd candidates, with the stated aim of providing Cavendish’s clients with an opportunity to meet and engage with Plaid figures ahead of the Senedd election.
“This event took place at the same time and in the same venue as Plaid Cymru’s official Summer School—a gathering intended for internal party discussion and policy development—raising serious concerns about the overlap between party infrastructure and a corporate lobbying offer.
“One of the Cavendish Consulting directors involved in organising this event is herself a Plaid Cymru Senedd candidate. While her dual role is publicly known, the event raises questions about whether that political candidacy was used to facilitate privileged corporate access, and whether party infrastructure was being informally leveraged for commercial gain.
“Key Concerns and Potential Breaches
1. Use of Political Role for Commercial Gain. This event appears to show a blurring of lines between political candidacy and corporate lobbying activity. The simultaneous scheduling with Plaid Cymru’s Summer School suggests potential insider coordination to create a commercially advantageous setting—using proximity to a party event to add value for clients. If Cavendish offered this as a form of privileged access, that would constitute using political influence for financial benefit.
2. Conflict of Interest – Clause 7 of the PAB Code. Even though the director’s dual role was publicly declared, the fact that a Plaid candidate working at a lobbying firm helped facilitate access to other Plaid candidates as part of a client-facing event creates at least the appearance of a conflict of interest—precisely what Clause 7 is intended to prevent. It is unclear whether clients were told the event would coincide with a major party gathering.
3. Improper Use of Party Infrastructure. Hosting the event within the same venue and timeframe as Plaid’s Summer School raises questions about whether party resources were implicitly or informally used to enhance the lobbying firm’s commercial proposition. This could be seen as piggybacking off a party’s internal event to add value to a private access offering, and may also raise concerns for Plaid Cymru itself.
4. Reputational Risk to the Industry – Clause 5. Regardless of whether a technical breach occurred, this type of event risks bringing the industry into disrepute, particularly in a devolved context like Wales, where the lobbying and political ecosystems are closely intertwined. The perception that a candidate is monetising party access for clients undermines trust in the fairness and transparency of both politics and lobbying.
“Request for Action
“I respectfully ask that the PRCA and PAB:
* Investigate the circumstances of the event held on 11 September by Cavendish Consulting, and in particular the role played by its director who is also a Plaid Cymru candidate;
* Examine whether this event constituted a conflict of interest or improper use of political positioning for commercial benefit;
* Issue guidance or take disciplinary action as appropriate, to reinforce boundaries between political candidacy and lobbying practice;
* Consider whether clearer rules or declarations are needed where public affairs professionals also stand for elected office.
“I would be happy to provide any further information or clarification needed. I make this complaint because I believe that upholding the standards of the PRCA Code is essential to maintaining the integrity of our democratic and public affairs systems.”
Cavendish was invited to comment, but did not do so.
Ms Evans has also declined to comment.
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Obviously a desperate attempt by a representative of another party, no foubt funded by people with deep pockets and a keen interest in stopping PC from displacing Labour. I detect the hand of zmr Lock or that unremarkable man from Bridgend, Jeff Jones. The otger partirs of course never take advantage of their contacts…!!
This comment sums up the problem, – so If other parties also participate in vile duplicitous backhander corruption, then it legitimises us participating in vile duplicitous backhander corruption.
Maybe we should apply the Eisteddfod policy of awards only given if adequate standards are met, so if all we have available are vile duplicitous backhander corruption candidates, the position should be left vacant until someone with adequate morals and ethics steps forward.
As far as i understand Deryn were aiming to hold the same event with all parties. it’s obviously easier to do it with plaid, less because of Nerys’ links and more to do with Plaid being the only party organised enough to have a full slate already.
This would be a much more credible view if Plaid hadn’t cancelled the cooperation agreement because of Vaughan receiving 200k of money from the waste management company (ie. lobbying money), which they were completely in right to do. Ben Lake, Liz Saville were very vocal about tories receiving lobbying money, and Llinos Medi was in parliament not so long ago asking for lobbying money to be kept out of politics completely! Two rules…
Interesting comment. One could conclude that the Plaid team at Westminster are cut from better cloth than some of those waddling around in the murky pond at Cardiff Bay.
Of course, if any Senedd member received any money from Cavendish as a result of this event, then they would have to declare it?
The Vaughan Gething donation was controversial because the person who donated the money to him had twice been convicted of environmental crimes. I don’t think there’s any suggestion that the people at Cavendish have committed any crimes?
In my mind, any lobbying is a crime against democracy.
Politicians making decisions based on who gives them money rather than representing the people who they should be democratically accountable to.
Presumably Martin Shipton knows the identity of this “member of the public” because he’s received a copy of the letter from him/her so he can make a story out of it.
I find this all quite depressing. When you look at the firms Deryn/Cavendish have represented, it’s surprising that she’s been selected as a candidate.
It feels a bit like the pete mandelson appointment; plenty of people raised concerns at the time, the leadership ignored them and it came back to cause problems later. I just can’t see how Plaid associating themselves so closely with lobbyists at this point in the electoral cycle does them any favours.
Agreed. She should be removed as a candidate. This lot (Deryn) have plenty of form.
She will be live ammo for the other parties contesting Sir Gar. What does the rest of their list look like ?
Should Nerys Evans have to stand down then – going by the party’s gender balance rule for selecting candidates – presumably her place on plaid’s list would be taken by the next woman on the list (which is Mari Arthur) rather than the third candidate (which is Adam Price).
The way they are going about things they will do well just to get the 1st choice guy into Y Senedd. 3rd or 4th place candidates are just making up numbers as things stand. The landslide victory won’t happen , more likely will be an avalanche of rejection.
On current polling, I would say that the third place candidate has a pretty good chance of being elected. They would need an extremely good day to get the fourth candidate elected. I’ve seen some polls that suggest that Plaid and Reform could win three seats apiece in Caerfyrddin. I sincerely hope that Reform don’t do that well there.
6 of the best, eh what ? 1 tidy Plaid man at the top of the poll with 2 feeble Plaid extras and 3 oddballs from the English Nazi party to make up the numbers. What not to like if you love your politics distinctly gutter quality. Good job it’s only those mickey mouse polls that steer your thought on this matter. Way things look we’ll end up with a Bay Bubble full of 60-70 different varieties of garbage politics and the rest made to look good by the thick crust of dunces, liars and grifters.
Or is it a sign of a party climbing down from an unelectable high horse and getting ready for the messy realities of government. This is something Team Corbyn was never prepared to do which is why the left-left gifted power to Johnson and would seek to do the same for Reform if they take back control of London Labour.
Neil, is that you?
Whatever the rights and wrongs, and I think at this time Plaid Cymru needs to be – like Caesar’s wife – above suspicion.
However, if the complainant wants to be anonymous and does not have the honesty and courage to say who he/she is, then the complaint should be dismissed.
I was taught many years ago that only cowards remain anonymous.
Surely, that would not apply to victims of rape, harassment and domestic abuse? Every court in the land provides for anonymity, as and when required. It’s the content of the act that’s important not the messenger.
Of course I accept that and it is only right.
The point I was making is about, for want of a better phrase – tale carriers with an (anonymous) axe to grind.
Whistleblowing should always be anonymous but there’s an argument for unmasking complainants who raise malicious vexatious complaints simply to besmirch a political rival. Because there won’t be headline articles if the complaint is quietly thrown out as baseless so the mud will stick without a newsworthy story to counteract it.
This is the point I am trying to make. Mud sticks.
Prosecco and flirt, then if they don’t get their way, the accusation and the anonymity. Influence by Mata Hari.
Nerys needs to resign. Pathetic.
It has become quite apparent to me that the people in the Llanelli part of the constituency are angry and don’t feel represented. Plaid Cymru should be channeling that anti-establishment feeling into our Senedd. Not fielding candidates who are part and parcel of a corrupt politic and that of self interest. It’s Nerys Evans who is handing votes to Reform.
My reply to Undecided is as relevant to your comment. Plaid seem to be walking wide eyed into a spot of bother completely of their own making. Do they really want to govern or is life too cushy on the touchline of politics ?
This could all have been avoided. Party managers surely must have known how bad this looks? And while this probably isnt the kind of issue that will get the same traction in the wider media – and with the Welsh electorate – as matters like donations to Vaughan Gething did its still embarrassing and may still harm the party in the eyes of voters. Nerys Evans announcing she’ll be taking leave from Cavendish until after the Senedd election at least would probably kill this story stone dead. But she – to judge from her silence – seems to think this… Read more »
You would hope that rising above it all would reap its rewards. However, it didn’t go too well for Kamala Harris against Donald Trump as far as I can remember.
Not a question of ‘rising above it all’ Rob – it should be a given that Plaid candidates shouldnt be attending a event organised by professional lobbyists who’s director is one of its own candidates. 1) Doing so stinks ethically and 2) its given plaid’s detractors a huge stick with which to bash the party. And if youre going to go down the road you appear to be suggesting ie plaid should be as unprincipled and cynical as its opponents then you’re on the way to making speeches about “islands of strangers”. Nuff said.
You don’t have to make right-wing statements to fight the hard right, David. That was Starmer’s mistake. The new Green leader, who has been described as a left-wing eco-populist, understands this, though that doesn’t mean he’d ever make such statements in his speeches.
In these tough times where many people seem to be angry about what’s happening in the world, it is very dangerous to leave populism as a vehicle to be used exclusively by the right.