Bullying: No specific accusation, Carwyn Jones says

First Minister Carwyn Jones has insisted to AMs that he never dealt with any "specific accusation" of bullying within the Welsh Government.

But he said that he had dealt with complaints of people feeling "more favoured" than others.

Mr Jones is under pressure about what he knew about allegations of bullying in 2014 made by a former minister and an ex-special advisor.

He did not rule out supporting a Senedd inquiry into the matter.

Claims of bullying have been made by former public services minister Leighton Andrews and Steve Jones, an ex-media adviser to the first minister.

They came forward following the death of sacked minister Carl Sargeant, who the two men claimed had been one of the ministers targeted in a "toxic" atmosphere.

Senior AMs have agreed that a debate will take place on 29 November to vote on whether the Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister should investigate the claims.

On Tuesday Mr Jones faced questions in the Senedd over an alleged discrepancy between an answer he gave in 2014 that no allegations of bullying had been made, and one last week that said issues at the time had been "dealt with".

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood asked what those issues related to, if not bullying.

Mr Jones, replying from what appeared to be a prepared statement, said: "No specific accusation of bullying was ever presented to me either formally or informally. No evidence was given to me, nor was that word bullying ever used in that way."

But he added: "People were sometimes unhappy with the way things happened.

"Were there competing priorities and complaints of that nature - of course there were.

"Did people sometimes feel others were more favoured - of course they did. That happens in any organisation.

"In politics, where these matters are even felt more intensely than in most other places, and people are very passionate about what they believe in, then that will be the situation.

"At the heart of our democracy is the notion of competition. There will always be tension - everyone in this chamber will recognise that, particularly my fellow party leaders."

Ms Wood accused Mr Jones of not answering her questions - but efforts by herself and Conservative group leader Andrew RT Davies to get the first minister to expand were met with Carwyn Jones largely standing by his earlier remarks.

Mr Davies asked if the Welsh Government would support his party's calls for an inquiry by the Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister.

Carwyn Jones told Mr Davies: "There are a number of ways in which this issue can be dealt with.

"We reserve our position in terms of the vote next week," he said.

"I do accept that this is an issue that will need further scrutiny and I am not afraid of that scrutiny.

"I think it's a question of finding out the most effective way of that scrutiny being exercised, and that is something I am not afraid of."

It was a missed opportunity for the opposition parties.

Tuesday was their chance to try to get the first minister to answer the questions that they put to him last Wednesday, about apparent contradictions in how he dealt with accusations of bullying back in 2014.

This time Carwyn Jones apparently surprised them, because he had an answer prepared.

Leanne Wood should have then asked for more details of the nature of claims made by Leighton Andrews in 2014.

Instead, she acted as if Mr Jones had not offered any sort of response - and there was more of the same from Andrew RT Davies.

Carwyn Jones did accept, however, that what happened in 2014 needed to be scrutinised, promising some sort of inquiry.

After poor questioning from the opposition leaders, that is probably the best outcome they could have expected.

Earlier on Tuesday Plaid Cymru AM Simon Thomas said he believed Mr Jones had lied about bullying allegations - either to the assembly last week or in 2014.

He told a press conference: "I think the first minister... could have been much more open and honest about the circumstances and emerged with his integrity intact.

"I now really do doubt what he's been telling us. My own conclusion at this stage - without knowing any further information - was that he either lied last week or he lied in 2014."

UKIP members are expected to support the Tory motion when it goes to the floor of the assembly for a vote next week.

Rhun ap Iorwerth, Plaid's whip, said the party also supports the referral to the scrutiny committee as proposed by the Conservatives.

However, Mr Thomas suggested he wanted to seek agreement with Labour AMs on what would kind of inquiry would take place, saying he hoped there could be a "common ground".

Asked if there a possibility perhaps Plaid would not vote with the Conservatives and UKIP, Mr Thomas said: "I think that depends on the talks we have over the coming days."

"I want us to to have the option of of reaching an agreement amongst the opposition parties," he said.

"I also want members of the government who want to see public scrutiny happen, that they can support it too."

But Mr Thomas also told BBC Wales there was no "danger" of a deal with Labour AMs scuppering what the Tories were calling for, saying Plaid would want to see a "parliamentary process" that holds Mr Jones "to account for what he's telling the assembly for the last three years".