Following official confirmation of Neil McEvoy’s permanent expulsion from the Plaid Cymru Assembly group, Welsh Conservatives have reiterated their calls for the allocation of committee chairs to be redistributed.
In a statement, Welsh Conservative Business Manager and Chief Whip, Paul Davies, said:
“Confirmation of Neil McEvoy’s permanent expulsion from the Plaid group should settle this matter once and for all.
“For a smaller party to hold more Committee Chairs sets a dangerous precedent for the future of this institution, and it is our hope that Plaid Cymru will now reflect on this matter.
“It is unacceptable, deeply undemocratic and frankly worrying that Plaid should continue to lay claim to Committee Chairs for which they have no mandate.
“Above all, it is vital that the people of Wales are able to have full confidence that this place is working in an open, transparent and democratic manner.”
A report on the matter published by the Assembly’s Business Committee in October confirmed that the Presiding Officer “does not agree with the majority view on the committee” responsible for the allocation of committee chairs.
A spokesperson for the Llywydd said at the time:
"The Llywydd considers that the standing orders are clear as to the requirement the business committee has regard to the need to ensure that the allocation of chairs reflect the balance of groups, and so a situation where the Plaid Cymru group has more chairs than the Conservative group is clearly anomalous.".
