The secretary of state for Wales has denied breaking the ministerial code after filming a video from his office. The Conservative Welsh secretary David TC Davies posted a video on X this week in which he criticised Welsh legislation to expand the size of the Senedd.
Mr Davies' opposite numbers shadow Welsh secretary Jo Stevens said has alleged this breaks the ministerial code. She argued that the video sets out the Welsh secretary’s objection to the legislation as well as the Welsh Conservatives' opposition to it, which is not official government policy, and says the backdrop is recognisably that of the Wales Office in Whitehall, which is an official government building.
The UK Government’s ministerial code states that “Ministers are provided with facilities at government expense to enable them to carry out their official duties. These facilities should not generally be used for party or constituency activities.”
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You can see the video here:
Ms Stevens said: “It is typical of the Welsh secretary to use his government office to seek to score cheap political points instead of actually doing anything to deliver for people in Wales. For 14 years this government has consistently talked down and held back Wales presiding over the largest fall in living standards since the Second World War.
“This behaviour needs to be swept away along with this clapped-out Conservative government. Under Labour the Wales Office will once again focus on and deliver for people across Wales.”
Mr Davies, who along with chief whip Simon Hart is the highest-ranking Welsh politician in Westminster, rejected the idea that this was a breach of the code. He told WalesOnline: "I do not see how this video could have breached the ministerial code."
