Minister lied to Senedd over protest
ENVIRONMENT minister Lesley Griffiths refused to meet with protesters before they brought Cardiff city centre to a standstill – despite telling the Senedd that the protest group had never approached her.
Extinction Rebellion campaigners held a protest in Cardiff over three days earlier this month.
Members of the group – raising awareness of climate change – sat on the road outside Cardiff Castle as part of a series of protests held around the UK.
Roads were closed and disruption caused to commuters and residents over July 15, 16 and 17.
But, prior to the protest – on May 29 – Ms Griffiths had been contacted by activists asking if she would meet with four or five people to discuss oil and gas exploration in Welsh waters, policy and Welsh Government divestment from fossil fuels.
The invite read: “We would be most grateful if you would meet a small delegation of four or five people to discuss the above issues. We understand that you have a very busy diary, but we would hope to meet in the next few weeks.
“I would hope the meeting could take place at the Aberystwyth office of the Welsh Government, but we would be prepared to meet in Cardiff Bay if that is more convenient.”
No reply was received, so a followup email was sent on July 6 before an email with a hand-signed letter from Ms Griffiths was returned on July 16.
On the third day of the protest – Wednesday, July 17 – Conservative AM Andrew RT Davies asked Ms Griffiths a question about the protest during a Senedd plenary session.
Mr Davies asked: “What would your message be to residents of Cardiff who have been disrupted, because the protesters are levelling that accusation against your Government?
In response, Ms Griffiths answered: “The protesters haven’t tried to engage
with me directly, but, previously, officials have met with some members of them, so I’m very aware of the protest that is going on.”
The Welsh Conservatives group has now obtained a letter sent in Ms Griffiths’ name the day before she told AMs she had not been contacted by protesters in which the minister said she would not be able to meet with protesters due to a “heavily committed diary”.
The opening paragraph of the twopage letter says the delay in response to a letter sent on May 29 was “due to an administration error”.
Ms Griffiths’ letter details legislation and measures taken about climate change, and quotes Welsh Government being “the first Parliament in the world to vote in favour of the declaration of a climate emergency”.
South Wales Central AM Mr Davies said: “The contents of this letter demonstrate a staggering level of incompetence at the heart of the Welsh Labour Government’s environment department.
“This letter also contradicts what Lesley Griffiths told me in the Assembly that very week – and I’m very disappointed that people have been seemingly misled to cover up for Labour’s inadequacy and embarrassment.
“Once again this shows that the Welsh Labour Government’s talk of a climate change emergency is just that – all talk and little to no action. At the very minimum, the minister should have met with the protesters.”
The Welsh Government had not responded to requests for a comment as we went to press.