Inquiry clears First Minister of claims he misled Assembly
THERE is no evidence of a bullying culture in the Welsh Government in 2014, an independent inquiry has concluded.
First Minister Carwyn Jones was cleared of allegations he had misled the Assembly by an inquiry carried out by James Hamilton, an independent adviser to the Scottish Government.
Mr Jones had ordered the inquiry in November, when he was accused of breaching the ministerial code by telling AMs there had been no allegations of bullying relating to the Welsh Government in 2014.
In the wake of the alleged suicide of Carl Sargeant last November, former Education Minister Leighton Andrews, along with former special adviser Steve Jones, claimed there had been a “toxic” atmosphere in the Welsh Government.
Mr Hamilton’s 24-page report, released on a testing day for the First Minister, found no evidence “any reports or allegations of bullying by special or specialist policy advisers had been made to the First Minister” and he did not mislead the Assembly when answering questions in either November 2014 or in November 2017.
In relation to a “toxic atmosphere” or “bullying culture” on the Ministerial floor he said: “I did not find convincing evidence that this was the case.”
Mr Hamilton said that the evidence given to him was that ministers Leighton Andrews, Lesley Griffiths and Carl Sargeant were “concerned about aspects of the behaviour of a politically appointed special/specialist adviser”.
While Ms Griffiths said she did feel bullied “at times” by a particular special adviser, she did not raise those concerns with Mr Jones.
The First Minister met Mr Sargeant in or around October 2014 but Mr Sargeant did not raise allegations of bullying then or at any other time.
Mr Andrews met the First Minister and had a letter setting out complaints but did not give it to the First Minister.
“Mr Andrews’ failure to hand over that letter is difficult to understand in the light of his present claim that the First Minister had misled the Assembly just one week before that meeting,” he wrote.
Mr Hamilton interviewed 23 people and was given statements and documents as well as copies of questions tabled to the Assembly.