Today, the First Minister Mark Drakeford held a press briefing outlining the Welsh Governments progress up until the current mid-term period and the expected agenda for the next Senedd term. In response to this, James Evans MS condemns the FM’s decision to brief the media before addressing the Senedd.
Commenting on this morning’s announcement, James said.
“Today’s announcement by the First Minister to brief the press and media before addressing the Senedd on the Welsh Governments agenda for the next term shows complete contempt. The FM’s priority is to the people of Wales and therefor the Senedd. Today’s decision to supersede parliamentary scrutiny should be called out by all parties for what it is. Undemocratic. I grow increasingly concerned on the reckless manner in which we see the conduct of Welsh Labour Ministers behave and the implications this has on the functionality of the Senedd.”
James goes on to say.
“The people of Wales expect the highest standards of office from elected officials, whose job it is to uphold due process. The function of devolution is to strengthen democratic governance and we can’t have ministers and especially (the) First Minister undermine this. We saw the impact it can have on parliamentary process when similar events took place in Westminster. The First Minster should do well to remember that while he may be resigning soon enough, that does not mean he can go about undermining the institution he was elected to.”
James Evans MS continues to campaign for the Senedd to adopt improved mechanisms that ensure proper scrutiny of decisions taken by MS’s outside of plenary and that accountability is at the heart of due process.
