Politics

Two-year gap for ex-politicians on conduct committee too short, watchdog warns

Published

6 months ago

November 11, 2025

THE SENEDD’S standards commissioner has warned a proposed two-year “cooling-off” period for former politicians to sit as “lay” members of a conduct committee is too short.

Douglas Bain gave evidence on Tuesday November 11 on the accountability bill which would create a Senedd “recall” system, allowing voters to remove politicians between elections.

Mr Bain welcomed plans to appoint “lay” members for the first time to the standards committee, which makes sanctions recommendations based on his investigations.

He told Senedd Members: “There must always be a perception that members are entirely marking their own homework and I think the inclusion of independent, suitably qualified members will guard against that, at least to some extent.”

But he expressed concerns about former Senedd Members being eligible to join the committee only two years after standing down or not being returned at an election.

Giving evidence to a newly formed Senedd accountability committee, set up to scrutinise the bill, he said: “I recommended that the period should be four years.

“I think there could well be, after just two years, individuals who had worked closely with the member whose conduct was being considered.

“Even if they were totally unbiased in their approach, I think it sends the wrong signal to the public who might perceive that they had some sort of interest in the matter.”

Mr Bain added: “My own view is a period of four years would remove any reasonable concerns that the person might have inside knowledge of the case under investigation.”

He suggested there would be “no realistic risk” of a conflict of interest after four years and “of course, if there was a conflict it would be up to the member to recuse themselves anyway”.

Meriel Singleton – clerk of the standards committee, which made recommendations to the Welsh Government on accountability, echoed the commissioner’s concerns.

“The committee is of the view that it should be longer than two years,” she said. “But, at the moment, it’s in line with what the standards commissioner’s qualification is.”

Hannah Blythyn, who chairs the committee, added: “If you change one, you change both.”

Under the bill, recall would be subject to a Senedd vote or automatically triggered in the case of a politician receiving a custodial or suspended sentence of 12 months or less. Sentences of more than 12 months already lead to disqualification.

Mr Bain was against other misconduct, such as harassment, automatically triggering recall.

“I think it would send entirely the wrong message,” he told Senedd Members. “Each case has to be looked at on its individual facts and an appropriate penalty or sanction imposed.”

On moving the threshold to six months, as proposed in Scotland, he said sentences for “almost identical offences vary widely from court to court and judge to judge”.

He told the accountability committee: “Whatever period is imposed is going to be arbitrary.”

Asked about appeals dragging on for months, Mr Bain said: “You can’t discount the possibility that the member concerned might attempt and might be successful in spinning out the process. We’ve certainly seen that in relation to the complaints process.”

He added: “Those of you who were here in the fifth Senedd will recall the very unsavoury tactics from a member which avoided any sanction being imposed on him.”

Mr Bain, who is barred from commenting on open cases, warned the rules governing his office are “well past their sell-by date” and out of kilter with Westminster. “What the public expects and are entitled to has moved on,” he said.

The commissioner said he would envisage new “own-initiative” powers being rarely used to launch investigations without first requiring a complaint as in other parliaments.

He said: “In the seven years of working in the Senedd, I can think of only two occasions on which I would have considered using this power had it been available.

“Both of these were alleged misconduct that had been widely reported… and I think it sends the wrong signal to the public when they read of that and no action is taken…

“Much to my surprise not a single person made a complaint about either of the incidents, perhaps assuming someone else was going to do that. The result was that – as far as the public was concerned – the Senedd condoned what had happened.”

Huw Williams, the Senedd’s chief legal adviser, backed the commissioner’s calls to introduce a new offence, saying: “As a result of experience in an earlier case, we think it would be useful to introduce a formal offence of obstructing the commissioner in his work.

“And there is a reported case where there was an attempt to interfere with witnesses.”

Business

Pembroke Power Station National Grid shutdown power plans

Published

15 hours ago

May 1, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to site specialist diesel generators at Pembroke Power Station to help keep the lights on in the event of a National Grid shutdown has been lodged with county planners.

In a screening application to Pembrokeshire County Council, RWE Generation UK PLC, through Ove Arup & Partners Ltd, wants to site up to six containerised diesel generators, diesel storage tank(s) and electrical connections at Pembroke Power Station, Pwllcrochan, near Pembroke.

The application site is within the site of the existing Pembroke Power Station, a combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) station which began commercial operation in September 2012, with a gross consented capacity of about 2,199 megawatts electric (MWe), replacing the previous oil-fired power station which operated for almost 30 years and was decommissioned in 1999.

A supporting statement says, subject to confirmation, it is considered to comprise permitted development, the scheme “a standalone plant, with its own fuel supply, capable of starting up, operating and shutting down independently from the power station”.

It adds: “It is required only in an emergency to maintain plant status and keep the power station operationally ‘ready’ in the event of a total or partial shutdown of the National Grid system. It is not required for the normal operation of the power station and does not extend its capacity, which remains as already consented, therefore it is not considered a change or extension.”

On need, it says it is mandatory that all electricity generators of over a megawatt have to adopt a new minimum standard of asset resilience; power stations “must be capable of restoring demand on the National Grid electricity transmission system in the event of a total or partial shutdown of the National Grid system”.

“The Power Station does not currently meet this new asset resilience standard, therefore new back-up power, control philosophy and on-site services that support site critical systems enabling the power station to remain ready to operate must be implemented.

“RWE is required to install a new enhanced emergency site auxiliary solution (diesel generators and diesel storage tanks) at the power station for resilience against the failure of the interconnected electricity distribution network into which it is normally connected in order to satisfy the Grid Code requirements by the mandated implementation deadline of December 31, 2026.

“RWE will make operational and fuelling provision, within its new resilience design at Pembroke power station of up to 120 hours, in order to provide capability to a slightly enhanced standard known to be valued by the National Energy System Operator (‘NESO’) in certain emergency network scenarios.”

It says construction is hoped to start in July 2026, lasting approximately nine to 12 months, the main part across the summer months.

The call will be considered by county planners at a later date.

Business

Pembrokeshire St Brides Castle biomass and solar scheme

Published

19 hours ago

May 1, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

PLANS for a green energy scheme at a Pembrokeshire former country house which is now holiday apartments have been given the go-ahead.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, HPB Ltd, through agent Acanthus Holden Architects, sought permission for a biomass boiler plant and installation of 16 rows of solar panels to the south of the tennis courts, St Brides Castle, St Brides, along with the removal of two tennis courts, two polytunnels, two sheds and relocation of a container.

Marloes and St Brides Community Council: Supporting

An officer report recommending approval said: “St Brides Castle. Listed Grade II* is a former country house (now holiday apartments) just south-west of the small settlement of St Brides.

“The house and its listed ancillary buildings stand prominently within a large grade-II-registered park and garden. The development site lies immediately south of the registered asset, outside of its boundary.”

It added: “Although in a sensitive location, the proposed scheme is well-screened, utilising an existing hedged enclosure. The proposed panels do not protrude over the hedge line, the proposed extra planting to the south and west providing further screening. The proposed building, also well-screened, is of traditional design, proportions and materials.”

The application was conditionally approved by park planners.

News

UK terror threat level raised to severe after Golders Green attack

Published

1 day ago

April 30, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THE UK’S terrorism threat level has been raised from substantial to severe, meaning an attack is now considered highly likely.

The decision was taken by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre on Thursday (Apr 30), following the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, North London, which has been declared a terrorist incident.

The Home Office said the change was not based solely on that attack, but reflected a wider increase in the threat from Islamist and extreme right-wing terrorism in the UK.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the attack was an “abhorrent, antisemitic” act of terrorism and said her thoughts were with the victims and the Jewish community.

There are five terrorism threat levels in the UK: low, moderate, substantial, severe and critical.

Severe means an attack is highly likely, while critical means an attack is highly likely in the near future.

Threat levels are set independently by JTAC and MI5, based on intelligence and analysis. They do not have an expiry date and can be changed at any time.

Police say the public may see an increase in visible patrols and other security measures, including Project Servator deployments, where specially trained officers patrol public areas to identify suspicious behaviour.

The public is being urged to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to police. In an emergency, people should always call 999.