Expelled McEvoy calls for probe into allegations
PLAID Cymru AMs unanimously decided to expel Neil McEvoy from their group within minutes of receiving a statement he issued as they held their regular weekly meeting at the Senedd, we can reveal.
Mr McEvoy wasn’t informed of his expulsion until the evening of the same day.
The South Wales Central AM sent out his statement at 11.44am on Tuesday. In it, he alleged that complaints about him had been made to the party “to try to silence me for doing my job of exposing the bad practice of certain companies and charities”.
He also asserted – inaccurately, it appears – that all complaints against him had been forwarded to the National Assembly’s Standards Commissioner, Sir Roderick Evans.
A party source told us: “There wasn’t a single trigger [for the expulsion] per se, just the accumulation of behaviour and actions deemed disruptive, disrespectful and which undermined other members of the group. The statement reached us during the meeting and provided further evidence of the aforementioned behaviour.”
Plaid AM Simon Thomas, who backed Mr McEvoy’s expulsion from the group, told the BBC the party had handled the disciplinary process affecting Mr McEvoy very badly.
He said: “I think Plaid Cymru has been appalling with dealing with disciplinary issues.
“I think one issue that both myself and Neil McEvoy would agree upon is that this disciplinary process outside the group has dragged on for months without resolution.
“Neither of us would be happy about that.
“I would challenge the party more widely to look at disciplinary processes and to ensure that people selected as Plaid Cymru candidates do what they are signed up to do.”
In a fresh statement, Mr McEvoy yesterday urged the Standards Commissioner to investigate the complaints passed to him by Plaid – even though they may be “out of time”.
Complaints to the commissioner have to be dealt with within 12 months of the complainant becoming aware of the issue complained about.
Mr McEvoy said: “I’ve written to the Standards Commissioner to ask he investigates the complaints because I want the chance to defend myself and I want those undemocratic organisations who hide behind anonymous complaints to have to answer for their actions.
“It comes to something when a Plaid Cymru AM who voted to expel me also had to admit that Plaid Cymru has been appalling when it comes to disciplinary procedures and that the process against me has dragged on for months.
“I’ve been told by journalists for almost a year that there is an inquiry against my behaviour but the party has never confirmed that to me, despite me asking many times. I don’t know who’s leading it, I don’t know what the terms of reference are.
“I haven’t been asked to attend any meetings or submit evidence. We can all say we’re holding an inquiry but if we don’t do anything then there is no inquiry.
“After the serious tragedy in Wales in the last few months there was meant to be a new emphasis on due process, duty of care and natural justice, especially when dealing with anonymous complaints.
“After 10 months of trying to get justice through Plaid, I now hope the Standards Commissioner can investigate these malicious and co-ordinated complaints against me.”
Plaid Cymru chair Alun Ffred Jones, himself a former AM, said: “Neil should read the party’s standing orders.
“The person complained about is not given details of the complaint until a party panel has decided there is a case to answer.
“I have apologised on behalf of the party to those who made the complaints and those complained about for deficiencies in our procedures.
“The panel didn’t actually meet until just before Christmas. There was a long delay in holding the panel meeting for reasons that were actually very good reasons.
“Complaints that refer to Neil’s position as an AM have been forwarded to the Assembly’s Standards Commissioner, while other complaints will be dealt with by the party.”