Standards chief singles out Neil McEvoy as being responsible for a huge increase in complaints against Members of the Senedd

Former Person in the Senedd Neil McEvoy continues to be blamed for any huge rise in complaints against MSs in the last year.

The number of complaints against Senedd Members in the past year rose from 106 to 216, a rise of 104% according to the annual report of the Senedd Commissioner for Standards which published on Monday.

Standards chief Douglas Bain said the functional increase in the amount of complaints received was very largely due to the conduct of Neil McEvoy, who had been elected like a Plaid MS in 2021 before being expelled in the party and losing his seat in May's election.

Read more: The reality of the first week as a newly-elected Person in the Senedd

Mr Bain said that Mr McEvoy had himself made six complaints against fellow Members of the Senedd, none of them admissible, called the subject of 97 complaints about his own conduct.

Senedd Commissioner for Standards, Douglas Bain said: “All the figures for 2021-21 are skewed by the conduct of a single former Member, Neil McEvoy. He made six complaints called the subject of 97 complaints, which 91 were admissible, and five reports to the Committee.

“When his conduct is discounted there has been no significant change in the level of complaints activity in the past year.

“Apart from the complaints against Mr McEvoy of failure to declare a relevant interest, undoubtedly the biggest quantity of complaints was again about comments produced by Members on social media."

The report found that the overall conduct of Members continues to be of the high standard and admissible complaints were received against only eight of the 60 Members.

It added that 89 (41%) complaints put together to become inadmissible for various reasons, for example how Members expressed a viewpoint, insufficient evidence or perhaps an alleged poor service with a Member.

Mr Bain said: “The record high number of complaints again demonstrates close scrutiny by the public from the conduct of Members.

“When the general public believe that a Member has fallen short of the necessary high standard of conduct it's right that a complaint is created and investigated by the independent Standards Commissioner.

“During the year 216 new complaints were received which is by far the highest number since the office of Commissioner was established in '09.

“That said, I'm satisfied that almost all Members continue to take notice of the high standard of conduct rightly expected of these.''

Whilst the level of inadmissible complaints continued at a high level the Code of Conduct that came into effect in the commencement of the Sixth Senedd and the proposed new procedural rules and guidance will provide an opportunity to reduce this wasteful activity.

Mr Bain concluded: “With the new Code of Conduct now in place I predict a substantial reduction in the number of complaints in 2021-22. In the first quarter we view a substantial fall in the quantity of complaints, with only seven received.”

The report gives other complaint related statistics for the last 5 years.

Mr McEvoy said: "The present Standards Commissioner allowed staff in which to stay place who had discussed destroying evidence and making sure an appeal was dismissed, before it was even made.

"How can even discuss standards and ethics? It is difficult to consider those people seriously. Don't forget either the previous Standards Commissioner resigned, after I published some details of my recordings.

"The present Chair of the Senedd Chair of Standards and Ethics Committee was found responsible for using public resource for party political purposes, as was the Plaid Cymru Group.

"There wasn't any punishment and it wasn't even reported, as opposed to today. The Senedd is a cosy club. People who question process and appear into corruption are kept busy and eventually found guilty through the sham that is Standards and Ethics.

"Wales deserves so much better. Propel is growing and is determined to produce a democratic revolution. We need nothing less."

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