Reform politician billed in legal fees – but won't say if it was to gag staff

REFORM UK'S highest-profile politician in Wales is facing calls to confirm whether or not she used public funds for lawyers to draft nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) to stop staff speaking about an expenses controversy.

- CONOR GOGARTY Investigations editor [e-mail]

Laura Anne Jones, the party's only MS, has refused to confirm or deny that she spent nearly £2,000 of taxpayers' money on legal advice about alleged gagging orders. Ms Jones was recently investigated - and cleared - by the Senedd standards commissioner over claims of expenses fraud.

The investigation into the South Wales East MS, which began when she was still in the Conservative party, looked at texts she sent a staff member, including: "When doing petrol thing always make more than I did - add in stuff please OK."

In another message, from an exchange about mileage, she wrote: "If you could always do more than it says that'd be fab, thanks."

Ms Jones claimed the employee had misinterpreted her messages as a conspiracy to submit fraudulent claims, and standards commissioner Douglas Bain said he was satisfied with her version of events, although he found she had brought the Senedd into disrepute by using a racial slur and other offensive language.

But a source close to Ms Jones' office - who was not the complainant in the Senedd probe has claimed that she used NDAs to prevent staff from speaking about her conduct and concerns over her expenses.