Davey: Welsh Lib Dem leader must reflect on position

Jane Dodds and Sir Ed Davey in Knighton, Powys, on the general election trail in May

The leader of the Liberal Democrats has said his party's Welsh leader should reflect on her position over her handling of a sexual abuse case when she worked for the Church of England.

A 2021 report found Jane Dodds, who is in charge of the Welsh Lib Dems, made a "grave error of judgement" by not organising a meeting to discuss a particular case of abuse by a late former bishop who sexually abused at least 18 victims over a 15-year period.

Dodds has accepted there were "shortcomings", but said she would continue as leader.

Sir Ed Davey, when asked whether she should stand down, said she needed to "reflect on this very carefully" and "think about what else she may need to do".

'Error of judgement' over church abuse

It comes after the Archbishop of Canterbury resigned over his failure to report prolific child abuser John Smyth.

Dodds was accused of failing to arrange a meeting about the abuse of a person highlighted in the report, A Betrayal of Trust, published in 2021, which found the late Hubert Victor Whitsey, former Bishop of Chester, who died in 1987, committed "appalling acts" against children, teenagers and vulnerable adults between 1966 and 1981.

A review found the late former Bishop of Chester, Hubert Victor Whitsey, sexually abused at least 18 victims over a 15 year period

Davey told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg: "I accept that she has apologised, but this is such a serious issue, so I think she does need to think about what else she may need to do.

"I've made my feelings really clear to her about what I think she should do and I think she's reflecting. I hope she does."

After Davey's comments, Dodds, the only Welsh Liberal Democrat Member of the Senedd, said the party's Welsh board had confidence in her leadership.

She said she would "continue fighting for the people of Wales" as the party's Welsh leader.

Dodds said she "accepted at the time that there were shortcomings in organising meetings about this case" and "acknowledged" them in the report.

"I have made child protection my life’s work, having worked in the field for over 20 years prior to entering politics," she added.

"I whole-heartedly apologise to the victims for the delays that this contributed to."

In a separate interview on BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement, before Davey's interview, Dodds said she did not know who had been briefing Nation Cymru, which reported "Welsh Liberal Democrats who are antagonistic towards Ms Dodds have only just become aware" of her involvement in the report.

Tim Sly, president of the Welsh Lib Dems, said the board had expressed its "complete confidence" in Dodds as leader and considered the matter closed.

Peter Black, who was a long-standing Lib Dem member of the Welsh assembly (now the Senedd), and is now a Swansea councillor, criticised Davey.

Black posted on X that Davey's comments were "very unhelpful".

"It is clear he has not read the report, but regardless, this is a matter for the Welsh party, not him," he wrote.

"There are other ways he can express his view without contributing to a media witch hunt."