North Wales MS Mark Isherwood yesterday contested Welsh Government claims that the cost-of-living crisis was entirely precipitated by the former UK Government.
Intervening in the Debate on the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) Standards of Conduct Committee Report: “Individual Member Accountability: Deliberate deception”, Mr Isherwood challenged statements made by Welsh Government Ministers.
The Committee believes that by embedding deliberate deception into the Members Code of Conduct, the Senedd will be sending a clear message that it will not tolerate such behaviour and will hold those who are in breach of these standards to account, and that “further work should be undertaken by the Welsh Government, that extends beyond the 2026 election, that builds on the body of evidence the Committee has gathered to explore the complex issues around the regulation of political deception in further detail”.
Speaking in the Senedd Chamber, Mr. Isherwood said:
“A statement is deceptive if it's false or misleading, untrue or untrue in a material particular.
“The World Economic Forum has stated that ‘the soaring cost of food and energy is affecting people across the globe’.
“Speaking here last July, the month of the UK General Election, I noted that: ‘33 European Countries, the Euro Area and 17 G20 countries currently have higher inflation rates than the UK, in consequence of the global cost-of-living crisis'.
“However, Welsh Government Members keep stating here that the cost-of-living crisis was entirely precipitated by the former UK Government. Do you therefore agree that they should be careful what they wish for?”