Ministers row back on vow for ban on lying politicians

THE Welsh Government has rowed back on a promise to bring in a ban on lying politicians - a commitment previously made to avoid defeat in a key Senedd vote.

- CHRIS HAINES

Welsh ministers promised to introduce a law before the next election to disqualify Senedd members and candidates found guilty of deception.

But the Welsh Government has now brought forward proposed legislation which falls short of a commitment made to the Welsh Parliament.

Mick Antoniw, then-counsel general, the Welsh Government's chief legal adviser, struck a deal with Adam Price just before a vote on creating an offence of deception in July 2024.

He said at the time: “The Welsh Government will bring forward legislation before 2026 for the disqualification of members and candidates found guilty of deception through an independent judicial process?”

In return for that commitment, Plaid Cymru and independent Rhys ab Owen abstained in a vote - enabling ministers to remove plans for a ban from a previous elections bill.

But the accountability bill introduced this week does not create an independent judicial process for sitting members, with deception to instead be handled internally initially.