Politician complaints double 'largely due' to Neil McEvoy

Of the 216 complaints made about members of the Senedd in 2021-21, 97 were about Neil McEvoy

A large rise in complaints about Members of the Senedd last year was "very largely" due to one politician, the standards commissioner has said.

In 2020-21, 216 complaints were made about MSs, up from 106 the previous year.

Of the 216, 97 were about Neil McEvoy, who also made six complaints himself.

Mr McEvoy, former MS for South Wales Central, questioned the transparency of the standards process.

The Welsh Parliament is made up of 60 politicians.

Of the 97 complaints made against Mr McEvoy, 91 were deemed admissible by commissioner Douglas Bain, with almost all related to "failing to register or declare an interest".

While one of the complaints against him was made by a Senedd official, the other 96 were made by members of the public.

None of the six complaints made by Mr McEvoy were deemed admissible and were "doubtless made in an attempt to score political points", Mr Bain said.

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"Mr McEvoy occupied a great deal of my time and, of course, that wasted a great deal of public money," he added.

The standards commissioner is in charge of investigating complaints about the behaviour of MSs.

Mr Bain was appointed to the job on an interim basis in November 2019, following Sir Roderick Evans' resignation, before securing the role for a six-year term in March.

Douglas Bain has previously served as standards commissioner in Northern Ireland

Publishing his annual report for 2020-21, Mr Bain said: "The record high number of complaints again demonstrates close scrutiny by the public of the conduct of members.

"I am satisfied that almost all members continue to observe the high standard of conduct rightly expected of them.

"All the figures for 2020-21 are skewed by the conduct of a single former member, Neil McEvoy."

Mr McEvoy was first elected as a Plaid Cymru member for South Wales Central in 2016, he later sat as an independent before losing his seat in May's Senedd election.

Responding to the report, he questioned the transparency of the standards process and the way appeals were handled, adding that it was "difficult" to take the people involved seriously.

"Wales deserves so much better," he said, claiming the country needed "a democratic revolution".

Of the 216 complaints, 60 related to members' conduct on social media.

Mr Bain said, while MSs "enjoy a right to freedom of expression", he would "remind members of the need to take care before liking or retweeting posts made by another person".