The First Minister has today announced that he will refer himself under the Ministerial Code, so that an independent adviser can investigate allegations of bullying within his office.
The investigation will decide whether the First Minister broke the Ministerial Code and misled the Assembly over his knowledge of bullying allegations.
Responding, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, said:
“We are pleased the First Minister agrees with our long-held assessment that the current ministerial code is flawed and has taken the appropriate steps to correct this.
“We welcome the appointment of an independent adviser to undertake the investigation into these serious allegations of bullying - something which we specifically requested from the Permanent Secretary two weeks ago.
“While these are positive steps, it remains vital that Assembly Members will have an opportunity to scrutinise the First Minister over these allegations.
“We need firm assurances from the Permanent Secretary over the transparency of the pending investigation and a clear timeline for when we can expect findings to be published. This cannot be dragged out or swept under the carpet.”
