Emily Price
Two Reform MSs have declared they are “here to stay” after adding sunglasses to their official Senedd photos and using the reggae hit ‘Bad Boys’ to mock Commission staff who raised concerns about them gatecrashing a private meeting
On Tuesday (October 20) Nation.Cymru reported how Reform MSs Cai Parry-Jones and Iain McIntosh attended a Senedd Commission staff briefing, despite not being invited.
The meeting was intended to give Commission staff the opportunity to ask questions about their future workplace following major renovations.
However, staff told Nation.Cymru they felt “anxious and intimidated” by the presence of politicians with an agenda, leaving some feeling unable to ask questions.
Parry-Jones and McIntosh were invited to comment on our report, but did not respond.
However, shortly after the publication of our story, McIntosh took to social media to lash out at “sensitive civil servants”.
In a comment left on Nation.Cymru’s Facebook page, McIntosh, who is the shadow minister for government efficiency, appeared to betray a confusion between the civil service and staff employed by the Welsh Parliament.
He wrote: “It’s the responsibility of all Senedd members to make sure tax payers’ money is spent wisely.
“In my role as shadow minister for government efficiency, l’ll keep on doing that, regardless of whether Nation Cymru or sensitive civil servants like it, or not.”
Senedd Commission staff are not civil servants. They provide the operational and administrative support required for the Welsh Parliament and its elected Members to function effectively.
Commission staff remain strictly independent of the government, unlike civil servants, who work directly for the Welsh Government.
On Wednesday (October 21) Parry-Jones shared a screen grab of our report to social media, adding black sunglasses to the official Senedd photos of himself and McIntosh and dubbing the post with the song “Bad Boys” by the Jamaican reggae band Inner Circle.
Released in 1987, the song is about troubled youth and the consequences of turning to crime.
Captioning the post, Parry-Jones hit out at Commission staff and branded Wales’ parliament a “gravy train”.
He wrote: “If this makes the Senedd Commission ‘anxious’, they’ll just need to get used to it.
“We’re here to stay, and we’re finally scrutinising this gravy train.
“The meeting we attended showed off plans that will cost the taxpayer millions to expand the Senedd’s offices with a gym, an open-plan staircase, a ‘grab-and-go’ coffee area, and nothing that’s actually necessary.
“Bizarrely, when the Finance Committee looked at this expansion last week, we hadn’t been shown these plans.
“This place needs real scrutiny. We have arrived.”
Critics pointed out that one of Reform’s MSs already sits on a cross-party Senedd Commission group that will have the opportunity to scrutinise and agree the proposals discussed at the staff meeting.
The Senedd’s Finance Committee will also be able to scrutinise the proposals before any decisions are made.
It is understood that the social media antics of Parry-Jones and McIntosh have left some Commission staff feeling “harassed”.
Monday’s meeting was organised exclusively for Commission staff to discuss the Bay 32 project and the future of the Tŷ Hywel office building in Cardiff Bay.
The Bay 32 project is an initiative by the Senedd Commission to plan for office space ahead of the expiration of the 25-year lease on Tŷ Hywel.
The hybrid briefing was headed by the Chief Executive and Clerk of the Senedd Manon Bonner.
Nation.Cymru was told Parry-Jones and McIntosh entered the briefing room without authorisation and sat in the front row.
As the front row was visible only to the panel, Bonner warned Senedd Commission staff attending remotely that two Reform UK politicians were present.
During the briefing, Senedd staff were shown proposed floor layouts for the refurbished Tŷ Hywel building.
Nation.Cymru was told that Parry-Jones took photos of all the slides shown to staff.
When Senedd staff were invited to ask questions of their employer, the Reform MS spoke up, quizzing the panel on a proposed grab-and-go coffee bar.
When Nation.Cymru asked why Parry-Jones and his colleague were not asked to leave, we were told the incident was “unprecedented” and that attendees felt unable to eject the two MSs because the Senedd is legally and constitutionally required to treat all politicians fairly.
However, some said they felt Reform’s Welsh group had “crossed a boundary”.
A Senedd Commission spokesperson said: “Members of the Senedd have been regularly briefed on progress on Bay 32 – the project to secure suitable office space after the Commission’s lease on Ty Hywel expires in 2032.
“The all-staff meeting on Monday gave an opportunity for Senedd Commission staff to be updated about plans and ask questions about the future of their workplace.”
The post Reform MSs mock Senedd staff with Bad Boys stunt appeared first on Nation.Cymru.