Standards committee asks councillor to respond to findings

AN independent report found evidence that a councillor in Carmarthenshire breached the code of conduct, a committee said.

Carmarthenshire Council’s standards committee met behind closed doors to discuss a lengthy report by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales about Llanelli town councillor Terry Davies.

In minutes of the meeting published on the county council’s website, the committee said it had resolved that the report contained evidence of a breach and that Cllr Davies should be given the opportunity to make representations in respect of the investigation’s findings.

The Ombudsman provided a brief summary of the report, in which it said its investigation found evidence which suggested the member had used discriminatory language towards other town councillors on February 9, 2021.

The report summary said the member denied that his actions had breached the code of conduct. It said other members said they were upset, sad and shaken following the incident, with one visibly shaking.

The Ombudsman concluded that the behaviour was suggestive of breaches of three provisions of the code of conduct.

Cllr Davies, of Plaid Cymru, represents Llanelli’s Tyisha ward on the town council. In May this year he was also elected as a county councillor to represent Tyisha.

Contacted, he said he could not comment at this stage but that he would take up the committee’s invitation to respond. A comment was also sought from the town council.

The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales will add the standard’s committee decision to its summary report and then publish the report on its website.