Senior Welsh Conservative calls for Senedd to be abolished after Tory member misses crucial Covid pass vote
A senior Welsh Conservative has called for the Welsh Parliament to be abolished after a Tory member missed a crucial vote to stop the introduction of Covid passes.
The NHS Covid pass for clubs and large events will be introduced on Monday after Tory MS Gareth Davies failed to get on Zoom to cast his vote last night.
The missed vote enraged Conservative Newport group chief whip David Fouweather, who berated his own Welsh party and called for the Senedd to be done away with.
“Get your bloody whip sorted,” he said. “Letting wales down. Abolish the assembly.”
He is a former Mayor of the City of Newport and Deputy Leader of Newport Conservatives.
The vote passed by 28 votes for and 27 votes against, following a technical mishap from Gareth Davies, who represents the Vale of Clwyd. If all opposition MSs had voted against the measure, the Welsh Government would have not had enough support to get it passed.
The Senedd was sitting in a hybrid format with some of the 60 members present and others attending the session remotely.
Darren Millar, the MS for Clwyd West, could be heard trying to intervene on behalf of his Conservative colleague Gareth Davies.
He was told by the Llywydd Elin Jones that all attempts to get him onto the relevant software had taken place.
‘Pivotal’
The bungled vote has led to calls from anti-Covid pass groups for another attempt to block the legislation.
Michael Kill, the CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, said he was “devastated”.
He told BBC Radio Wales on Wednesday: “It is devastating, especially based on the fact we felt it went through on a technicality. From our perspective, given that one of the Conservative MSs was unable to get through to the vote, we feel there should be a re-vote. We don’t feel that that was a true outcome in terms of all parties in the Senedd.
“Our confidence was lifted when Plaid Cymru said they were going to vote against. It is such a pivotal vote that affects so many lives, I think it is important it is looked at.
“Our members were devastated and outraged at the outcome. They feel it needs to be redressed.”
The Conservatives released a statement after the vote saying that “a number of members across political groups experienced technical difficulties with the voting system this evening, which demonstrates why the hybrid Parliament in Wales must come to an end”.
“We reaffirm our view that such significant votes should be held in person on the floor of the Senedd and Welsh Conservatives remain steadfastly opposed to the introduction of Covid passports.”
It is not the first Senedd technical mishap to change a vote – in 2006 the Senedd held a public inquiry into the ambulance service after then Health Minister Brian Gibbons accidentally pressed the wrong button in the chamber.
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Whatever your thoughts on the pros and cons of the Covid Pass – it’s the Conservative reaction that is so puerile and derisible – talk of throwing your toys out of the pram! Lose ONE vote, lets ban the Senedd – so childish!
Given that it appears to be still eminently transmissible I think having some sort of “control device” makes sense. No doubt the anti vax, deniers will foam around the mouth but will be the first to bleat about their rights if told they couldn’t get treatment if they ever caught the bug. Lot of people need to rationalise their stance before getting to that foam around the mouth stage. I’m quite relaxed about a “no pass” situation as I don’t inhabit crowded spaces unless absolutely essential. I don’t like the smells of other folk and their other transmitted bugs are… Read more »
I quite agree.
I think if he looks hard enough, he will find that the assembly does not exist anymore.
If voting problems are a reason to abolish a Parliament, does that mean we can also abolish Westminster. (see link)
Coronavirus: MP goes wrong way to vote, then votes wrong way | UK News | Sky News
Another top Tory displays low intelligence by throwing toys out of pram ! Does that still rank as news ?
Probably not, but we all need something to make us laaugh now and then
Perhaps N.C should launch a weekly comic Politicians will supply a never ending stream of silly stuff as content. Tories mostly but others can be counted on to contribute odd snippets of gaffes.
I have no view on the substantive legislative proposal. And I deplore the politics of the Tory group in the Senedd. But I feel very queasy about the Llywydd’s handling of this issue. The fact that she permitted a very tight vote to proceed knowing that technical difficulties were preventing a MS from registering his vote, calls into question her judgment.
This just shows me that we need more ministers in the Senedd. If Northern Ireland with half our population and double our MS’ in Stormont can have this type of political representation then why can’t we?
Ah, but Ulster has the Unionist cluster in London by the short and curlies. Those boys and girls could be issued with personal nukes if they asked for them !
The Llywydd refused to allow Gibbons to change his vote in 2006 even though it was clearly a mistake, which also affected the result. It is the responsibility of the MS to be present at their job and competent enough to vote correctly. If they are not that should be remembered by their constituents at the next election. BBC – Democracy Live – 20 June 2006: Gibbons’ wrong vote “The chamber erupted in cheers and jeers when Dr Gibbons admitted to the presiding officer, Dafydd Elis-Thomas, that he had made a mistake. The presiding officer said he appreciated the minister’s… Read more »
I have no problem whatsoever with individual MSs being wholly responsible for matters that are within their control. If they make a mistake, on their own head be it. And I do not know the full circumstances of this incident. However, if it is wholly attributable to system / connection issues that were beyond the control of the MS concerned – and the Llywydd knew that to be the case – the vote was plainly flawed if he was unable to cast his vote. This is an issue of democracy and the credibility of our law-making apparatus. It is not… Read more »
Votes do not get re-run because someone couldn’t make it to the vote.
In 1986 Conservative MPs who wanted to maintain corporal punishment in state schools were prevented from reaching parliament because of road closures for the wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. The vote was not rerun
Everyone else had no problems, he was just drunk apparently
He was pissed in a bar in Manchester, don’t blame the senedd blame the incompetent idiot Tory who was drunk to use a computer
If the Tories think the hybrid system is wrong then they should simply insist that all of their Mass attend in person for every vote! Sorted!
No, I think we will just abolish Westminster out of our lives.
Gareth Davies could have telephoned his vote in, this story is a #torylie if the Tory Party member cared so much about Wales then he would have stayed in work instead of going to the Tory Party Conference on a Jolly #toryincompetance for the few and sod the many.
Be kind, these misfits need a chance now and then to be among their own sort (if they can find a Tory faction to belong to :D)
Can we not arrange a recall petition for behaviour like this?
The only reason they want to abolish the Senedd is because they hate Wales, devolution and democracy.
Demonstrating yet again that the term Welsh Tory is an oxymoron.
Unlike the guy who couldn’t manage to either attend in person or via Zoom, who is just a moron.
No such thing as a Welsh Conservative, other than a traitor or an oxymoron.
Fouweather”s contempt for the democratic will of the welsh electorate is hardly a secret – his fascistic call for the overthrow of the result of two referendums is an annual event. He obviously craves the attention – let’s face it it’s the only way this non entity will get anything he says reported on
The empire was full of vileness like him.. … they took the pieces of silver and wore the butcher’s apron with pride
Is he in favour of abolishing the Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly as well, or is it just the Senedd?
Labour is the problem and not devolution.
Its interesting that anti-devolutionists think that political incompetence can only be found in the Senedd.
As a former mayor of Newport why isn’t he in a shellsuit like the rest of Goldie Lookin Chain?
GL Chain were talented witty and intelligent.
Typical tory response, absolutely pathetic. I would question this fouweather’s ability to hold a balanced view on anything remotely political,
Michael Kill, the CEO of the Night Time Industries Association.
What a fantastic name and so apt as well!
Kick all English party’s out of wales that’s the Tories Labour and all Brexit party’s stop being little Englanders and and be proud to be welsh start fighting for your children and grandchildren future in wales 🏴 it’s time for a new wales 🏴
It will take more than this fool to destroy our democracy no matter how hard his type of tory (ie most of them) try.
No.
Here we go again. Another Tory calling for the Senedd to be abolished, or as I like to called it, pram politics. When will it cease? I missed a bus recently, therefore call for all buses to be banned. How dare they not be there at my beck and call. Yes, this scenario is as rediculous as crybaby David Fouweather Tory tantrum. And when Brexiteers like Fouweather are challenged over the validity of the referenda, most would say how we should respect the vote. The people spoke. Which is ironic seeing his ilk since 1997 have tried to undermine Welsh… Read more »