Wales’ politicians are second rate, says shamed MP
A SHAMED MP who was suspended for sexual misconduct claims other politicians in Wales are “second rate”.
Rob Roberts was elected Conservative MP for Delyn when Labour’s Red Wall fell in 2019 on the back of the push to get Brexit done.
His time in office has been marred by controversy.
He was suspended from the House of Commons in 2021 after the Independent Expert Panel (IEP) found he made repeated and unwanted sexual advances towards a male member of parliamentary staff. He also faced allegations over WhatsApp texts sent to a young female intern.
This saw him lose the Conservative whip and led to calls for the disgraced MP to resign. He avoided a recall petition and potential fresh election in Delyn on a technicality – prompting a rule change at Parliament.
Despite his own record in office he has taken a swipe at politicians in the Senedd – including opposition members, with the Welsh Conservatives the main opposition party in the Welsh Parliament. He said the Senedd was full of “second-rate politicians doing a second-rate job”.
He attacked the narrow mandate for setting up the Assembly in Wales – despite Welsh voters later delivering a resounding 63% Yes vote to direct law-making powers in 2011. His comments were prompted by the shambles at the north Wales health board – with calls this week for a police probe or public inquiry over financial dealings at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.
Mr Roberts said: “It’s correct that Labour have presided over a systematic destruction of the health board in north Wales. But it’s also correct that the opposition groups in the Senedd have done absolutely nothing about it.
“The whole place is full of second-rate politicians doing a second-rate job, sitting for two days a week and stealing a living from the public purse.”