Tory MS investigated over online sherry glass review
Emily Price
A Welsh Conservative MS has been investigated after leaving a cutting review about a pair of sherry glasses she bought on eBay for £9.99.
The new report by the Senedd’s Standard’s Commissioner, Douglas Bain, does not name the MS – but Nation.Cymru understands it to be Janet Finch Saunders.
She described the probe as a “waste of tax payers money” after the complaint against her was thrown out this week.
Mr Bain launched a formal investigation after an online seller claimed the shadow climate change minister had breached rule two of the Senedd’s code of conduct (members must act truthfully).
The seller said their “integrity, reliability and honesty” had been questioned when Ms Finch Saunders posted false information online about two crystal glasses.
Description
The Aberconwy MS bought items on Ebay in January but disputed that they matched the seller’s description when they arrived.
In a report published on Thursday (October 17), Mr Bain said that although the matter may appear “trivial” there were concerns that the seller’s reputation could have been damaged.
The glasses were described as a “stunning” pair of Waterford Kylemore small liqueur glasses, “signed and in super” condition.
But when Ms Finch Saunders received them she sent a private message to the seller complaining they were “not as described, smaller and not signed”.
The seller argued that the glasses were as described but the MS stopped responding to the messages.
Dispute
On January 21, Ms Finch Saunders posted a review saying: “Wrongly described and they are not signed. Will not deal with this E bay [sic] seller again.”
The seller asked the Tory MS to review her feedback, saying: “Glasses ARE the size stated and ARE signed.”
The Ebay seller visited Ms Finch Saunders’ constituency office with signed replacement glasses but they were not accepted.
During the investigation, the Senedd’s standards commissioner contacted an independent expert to inspect one of the glasses.
Although no visible Waterford mark was found, the expert concluded that the glass was not a fake.
The expert was unable to check the other glass because it had been smashed within a few months of the purchase.
Honest
Mr Bain said that although the feedback left by Ms Finch Saunders was “factually incorrect” it was honestly given with no evidence of any “deceit, fraud or moral turpitude”.
Politicians on the Senedd’s standards committee agreed with the commissioner that the Welsh Conservative MS had not breached the code of conduct.
Ms Finch Saunders said: “I bought the items as a private individual and was well within my consumer rights to question the authenticity of the glasses given that they were not as described.
“The report has found in my favour. However, it has taken several months to resolve, with the process wasting taxpayers’ money.
“Hopefully, lessons will be learnt as to the reasonableness of taking forward some complaints against elected members.”
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I have not looked into what discretion the Senedd Standards Commissioner has in deciding whether to investigate a matter but this should never have got anywhere. It’s a trivial everyday dispute involving Ms Finch-Sunders in a private capacity. The fact that it was investigated meant that time and effort were diverted from matters sufficiently serious to justify investigation.
When she stood up in Y Senedd and told the Welsh public that nobody would pay more than £2000 a year for their energy, that was not ‘as described’ either was it?
I don’t know what surprises me more. That Tory MS Janet Finch, who’s on £72k per year, buying a sherry glass on eBay or why she didn’t seeing most Tories love screwing the public purse claim it back on her expenses besides requesting a full refund from the ebay seller who she no doubt left bad feedback.
Could be you are trying to make up a vintage set for a collection or replace damaged that waterford no longer make.
‘A Welsh Conservative MS has been investigated after leaving a cutting review about a pair of sherry glasses she bought on eBay …’
At least 95% of what this particular MS ever says in public could be – mildly! – designated as ‘cutting’. Seems to be just the sort of character that she is.
How much did the expert cost and staff time for what is a civil dispute that should have been referred by Ebay not standards commissioner.
I’m sure all those who call this a waste of public money would not be saying so if the MS under investigation was Vaughan Gething.
Perhaps they wouldn’t
But if the sherry glasses were worth £100 000 each, the vendor had a criminal record for fly tipping glass on a protected site and the vendor gave them to V G. ……..
Hi Vaughan, how are you?
Buying anything in a private capacity has NOTHING yes NOTHING to do with the Senedd’s standards committee . It seems the seller wanted more out of this sale that money. It’s obvious they have nothing to do in the Standards dept.
Do people still drink sherry?
p**o sgwarnog, chwadal ‘Nhad.
Now fair enough that a complaint should be entertained, but surely it should have been thrown out at the earliest stage after that? If the worst dirt you can find on Tory representatives is that they left a grumpy review on a website then makes the party look squeaky clean. If anything this makes me suspicious that there’s a ruse being played to make the Senedd look ridiculous and the West England Party look reasonable.