Two-year gap for ex-politicians on conduct group 'too short'

THE Senedd's standards commissioner has warned a proposed two-year "cooling-off" period for former politicians to sit as "lay" members of a conduct committee is too short.

- CHRIS HAINES

Douglas Bain gave evidence on the accountability bill which would create a Senedd "recall" system, allowing voters to remove politicians between elections.

Mr Bain welcomed plans to appoint "lay" members for the first time to the standards committee, which makes sanctions recommendations based on his investigations.

He told Senedd members: "There must always be a perception that members are entirely marking their own homework and I think the inclusion of independent, suitably qualified members will guard against that, at least to some extent."