SARGEANT’S DEATH ‘DUE TO HANGING’
ACORONER investigating the death of politician Carl Sargeant said he will examine how the National Assembly acted in relation to his mental welfare before his apparent suicide.
Mr Sargeant, 49, was found hanged at his home last week by his wife Bernadette, four days after being removed from his role as cabinet secretary for communities and children, his inquest was told.
The father-of-two, from Connah’s Quay, Flintshire, was suspended from the Labour Party over allegations of “unwanted attention, inappropriate touching or groping”.
But he was not told the details of what he was accused of and unable to properly defend himself, his family said.
It is understood that details were withheld to protect the identity of the complainants, but Mr Sargeant’s family and solicitors say being kept in the dark caused him mental anguish.
Yesterday, John Gittins, Senior Coroner for North Wales (East and Central), at a brief hearing to open and adjourn the inquest into Mr Sargeant’s death at the County Hall in Ruthin, said he will be seeking statements from witnesses at the Assembly, including First Minister Carwyn Jones, and they may be required to attend the court at a future hearing.
Mr Gittins also said that, as coroner, it was his duty to consider any steps that may be taken to prevent future deaths.
He continued: “With this aspect of my role in mind, I shall be examining carefully the steps taken by the Assembly to have regard to Mr Sargeant’s mental welfare prior to his death.”
Earlier, the court heard that last Tuesday morning Mrs Sargeant had gone downstairs and found a note on the door of her utility room in her husband’s handwriting advising her not to enter but to call the police.
She then went in and found her husband on the floor of the “lean to” adjoining the utility room, “after an apparent act of self-harm”.
Efforts to resuscitate him continued by Mrs Sargeant and family members along with paramedics until life was pronounced extinct.
Dr Andrew Dalton carried out a post-mortem examination and took samples for toxicology tests, but provided the coroner with a provisional cause of death as hanging.
Mr Gittins said his inquest will not consider the truth of allegations made against Mr Sargeant, nor look at “Cardiff and the Welsh Assembly or the Labour Party” and making adjudications on “who is right or wrong and who can be trusted”.
First Minister Carwyn Jones has called for a senior QC to carry out an independent inquiry to examine his handling of the case.
But Mr Sargeant’s family has criticised the decision to ask the Permanent Secretary to begin preparatory work and said it will prevent the probe from being truly independent.
Mr Gittins, before adjourning the inquest to a date yet to be fixed, said he will be required to consider a conclusion of suicide and that would mean he had to be certain that Mr Sargeant’s intention was to end his life and he must consider his mental state at the time.
Due to the independent inquiry already announced, the coroner said he was not able to set a date for the inquest to resume, and its own findings may have a bearing on the inquest.
He concluded: “May I take this opportunity to express my sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Mr Sargeant and to assure them all that there will be a full and fair examination of the matters which are relevant to my investigation and that I shall not allow the inquest to be a trial by press, politics or personality.”
Mr Jones had been under mounting pressure to launch an independent inquiry, with Mr Sargeant’s family adding to the criticism shortly before the First Minister’s announcement.
Mr Sargeant’s family said there had been “serious failings” in the way the situation was handled.
Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies and figures from within Mr Jones’ own party had called for the First Minister to announce an investigation.
Former minister Leighton Andrews has claimed Mr Jones knew that Mr Sargeant was “fragile” before he sacked him.
For emotional support, you can call Samaritans for free any time from any phone on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, or visit www. samaritans.org to find details of your nearest branch. For emotional support in Welsh, you can call the Welsh Language Line for free on 0808 164 0123.
THE death of Carl Sargeant is a shattering moment in Welsh politics. For years the National Assembly has been known for its apparent cosiness, the camaraderie that crossed party lines, and the informality in the Senedd which contrasts so sharply with both the ceremonial language and the rowdy partisanship on display in Prime Minister’s Questions.
Next year should have been a celebratory moment for champions of devolution. Major new tax powers will be transferred and a formal rebranding of the Assembly as a “parliament” is firmly on the horizon.
We have just marked the 20th anniversary of the 1997 referendum in which the people of Wales – by just 6,721 votes – gave the green light to devolution. In many ways Wales has forged a distinct democratic culture but this is no utopia; not when men and women in different parties are in mourning for a colleague and an inquiry will investigate the events leading up to the death of the Alyn and Deeside AM, who faced allegations about his personal conduct.
His passing is a reminder that the political arena is a crucible in which even the strongest individuals can face a range of pressures beyond anything they imagined when they first decided to stand as a candidate.
Mr Sargeant’s death has also triggered claims that a “toxic” atmosphere existed at the heart of the Welsh Government and that complaints about undermining behaviour were made but the problem was not tackled.
In Westminster, intense cabinet rivalries are accepted as an inevitable part of the democratic process. The competition for control of the levers of power between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown was a defining dynamic of government during the height of New Labour’s ascendancy and the tensions between Theresa May and Chancellor Philip Hammond are widely reported.
The Welsh Government and Welsh Labour under Rhodri Morgan and Carwyn Jones have until now done a remarkable job of keeping rows behind closed doors and maintaining discipline. There has been no equivalent of the open divisions between Blairites and Brownites that was once common among MPs, and differences of opinion about Jeremy Corbyn’s suitability as a Prime Minister have not led to a civil war among AMs.
A disciplined party is not necessarily a happy one. The life of a minister in Whitehall or Cardiff is characterised by responsibility, insecurity and risk, and there are times when struggles for influence with colleagues and their aides cannot be avoided.
Ministers compete for financial resources for their departments and time in the legislative agenda. This encourages rivalry and it is a test of a First Minister or Prime Minister’s leadership to ensure that people are not unfairly frozen out.
It is not a failure of the Welsh Government if ministerial corridors are not always a hotbed of hywl. If consensus comes too quickly the danger is that policies are not stress-tested and priorities are not sufficiently scrutinised.
But what may change in Wales is the idea that devolved politics can somehow escape the rivalries and internal battles you would expect in any other executive. The life of a minister can be both punishing and painful and if we recognise this there is a better chance that a healthier culture can be nurtured.
AMs who sit outside the Welsh Government will also face similar challenges that would crush the morale of other citizens.
The moment you stand for election, you have other candidates and activists arguing you are the wrong person for the job. If you do win a seat you can be sure that any unfortunate choice of words will be jumped on by your opponents; people you have never met will talk about you on Twitter as if you are a rogue intent on the ruin of Wales.
Your family may well face scrutiny, and unless you live in south Wales you will likely spend many nights a year away from your partner and your children.
Politicians long for the moment when they will get the chance to change their nation but securing a frontbench post requires winning the favour of the leader – and with it will come the fear that a scandal will break out through no fault of your own in an area for which you are responsible. Failure to shine in the new job can result in demotion or a humiliating return to the backbenches.
AMs and MPs can lead lonely and stressful lives. There will be days in both Westminster and Cardiff Bay when people who entered politics with ambition and enthusiasm will want to find somewhere to hide and weep.
Politics will always be a tough job in which people are, rightly, expected to defend their decisions and their convictions. But if we want men and women of intelligence, compassion and courtesy to make a contribution to our national debates we must ensure those values are rooted in the daily life of our government and our legislature.
Similarly, members’ staff and officials have every right to expect to be able to work in a safe environment and be treated with respect. We can’t assume that people will act with decency and thoughtfulness simply because they have the honour of serving at the heart of our democracy.
It takes real leadership to set the tone of a culture.
It is right that Wales should aspire to have a better type of government than anything it has known in the past, and it is up to those in positions of responsibility to now lead by example.