Family reveal politician faced groping claims

THE FAMILY of former Welsh Assembly member Carl Sargeant has released correspondence indicating he was facing allegations of “unwanted attention, inappropriate touching or groping” at the time of his death.

The family confirmed the Labour politician was unaware of the exact details of the allegations at the time of his death, and said his distress at being unable to defend himself properly meant he was not afforded “common courtesy, decency or natural justice”.

Mr Sargeant is understood to have taken his own life four days after being sacked from his role as communities and children secretary in the Welsh Government. In a letter and email sent to the Labour Party on Monday, Mr Sargeant’s solicitor Huw Bowden made clear that the Alyn & Deeside AM “categorically denied” any wrongdoing and appealed to the party to provide details of the accusations against him.

He noted the party had confirmed that no “parallel investigations” – such as a police inquiry – were being conducted.

Meanwhile, a Government minister under investigation for alleged inappropriate behaviour towards a member of his Commons staff has apologised to his constituents. International Trade Minister Mark Garnier said the events involving his then secretary, Caroline Edmondson, had been reported “outside the context and circumstances in which they occurred”. However the Wyre Forest MP told his local newspaper, The Shuttle in Kidderminster, that the public was entitled to expect “high standards of behaviour” from elected representatives.