A Welsh MP has called for a register which will list the political affiliations of senior staff running charities funded by the Welsh government, in the wake of the Awema scandal.
Jonathan Edwards, Plaid Cymru MP for Carmarthen East & Dinefwr, makes the call in a statement on his website, which describes Awema as “government by patronage”.
Awema, the All Wales Ethnic Minority Association, had all its public funding withdrawn after a string of alleged financial and management misconducts were highlighted by a number of trustees, who resigned in protest at the situation. The organisation is now closed, and is still under police investigation. Civilsociety.co.uk also understands that two former members of staff are taking Awema to an employment tribunal.
Edwards says the severity of the scandal warrants decisive action. Writing on his website, he says:
“The Welsh Government should now publish a full and comprehensive list of all bodies (apart from public services) that it funds directly or indirectly (including sums) noting the political affiliation of all directors and senior staff.
“Only then can we impartially judge whether Labour is constructing a one party state in Wales or not. This should be on a statutory and annual basis and could herald a new dawn of transparent, inclusive and plural politics as envisaged by the pioneers of Welsh devolution.
“It would also free civil society to undertake its essential job in any healthy democracy and remove government by patronage.”
Edwards has also written to the First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones, calling for such a register to be set up.
According to walesonline.co.uk, in response, a spokesman for the First Minister said: “Jonathan Edwards is as usual talking tiresome nonsense. He knows full well that all appointments made to public bodies in Wales are governed by the Nolan rules of propriety.
“Who runs charities in Wales is a matter for their respective trustees and the Charity Commission.
“What Jonathan Edwards doesn’t seem to understand is that his own party, when in government, played a full part in the system which he now claims how somehow gone wrong. This is a direct swipe at his own party leader and his own Assembly ministers.”
