Welsh leader urged to hold inquiry into dismissal of Carl Sargeant
Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones should confirm there will be an independent inquiry into the handling of Carl Sargeant’s dismissal from the Welsh government, the Conservatives have demanded.
Mr Jones has insisted he acted “by the book” and had “no alternative” but to take the action he did against former assembly member Mr Sargeant, who was found dead on Tuesday.
Mr Sargeant, 49, is understood to have taken his own life four days after being removed from his role as cabinet secre- tary for communities and children and suspended from the Labour party over allegations of “unwanted attention, inappropriate touching or groping”.
Welsh Conservative lead- er Andrew RT Davies wrote to Mr Jones to say it is of the “utmost importance” for him to announce an independent inquiry. He called for Wales’ senior civil servant to launch a probe into allegations of a “toxic” culture of bullying in Mr Jones’ government. The first minister has faced calls to quit after Mr Sargeant’s family claimed the former Welsh government minister had been denied “natural justice” because he was unaware of the detailed nature of the allegations against him. Former minister Leighton Andrews has claimed Mr Jones knew that Mr Sargeant was “fragile” before he sacked him.