Senedd member criticises ‘behind-closed-doors’ appointments

Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter

A Senedd member denounced his colleagues’ “absolutely stupid, behind-closed-doors” decision to nominate themselves for positions on an inter-parliamentary body.

Labour’s Alun Davies criticised the nomination process for the Senedd’s representatives on the UK-EU parliamentary partnership assembly, which was set up after Brexit.

Mr Davies, who represents Blaenau Gwent, hit out at the decision which was revealed in a letter to Senedd Members from Elin Jones, the speaker or Llywydd.

The chairs’ forum, which is made up of the chairs of Senedd committees, decided to nominate two of their own number following “discussion outside of the forum”.

Referring to the letter during a meeting of the legislation committee on January 13, Mr Davies said: “I disagree … I think it’s a stupid decision frankly, absolutely stupid decision.

‘Ludicrous’

“Now, it’s not surprising the chairs’ forum decides that chairs should represent the Senedd.

“That’s pretty unsurprising but the fact that we don’t have a representative from this committee on the UK-EU parliamentary partnership assembly is ludicrous, considering this committee has largely done the work on that.”

Mike Hedges, who chairs the committee, said: “In general, I believe every appointment should be made by the Senedd rather than via committees putting names forward.”

In her letter, Ms Jones confirmed the chairs of the economy and culture committees will represent the Senedd at the parliamentary partnership assembly.

She wrote that members had agreed to the “allocation of roles to be determined with those committee chairs outside the chairs’ forum meeting”.

‘Wrong’

But Mr Davies, a former minister in the Welsh Government who has been a backbencher since being sacked by Mark Drakeford in 2018, was dissatisfied.

He said: “I’ve got no notice of this chairs’ forum, obviously I’m not a part of it. I’ve got no input into it … and no report from it apart from this note telling us it’s all been decided.

“I think it’s the wrong decision. I don’t think this is the way that decisions should be taken in democracy – behind closed doors – I think it’s absolutely the wrong decision to take.”

Mr Hedges suggested: “Perhaps, we can go into more detail in the private session.”

The committee then agreed to exclude the public and press from the rest of the meeting, without providing any grounds for doing so as is required by the Senedd’s rules.