New online and verbal abuse ban for Senedd members

Online and verbal abuse by Senedd members are to be banned under proposed new Welsh Parliament rules.

The Senedd's standards committee is seeking views on a rewritten code of conduct.

Disciplinary cases involving social media have been dealt with before but under different rules.

Committee chairwoman Jayne Bryant said: "We've got to do all we can to improve the tone of debate and set a standard that encourages trust in politicians."

Other provisions of the new code, going out to consultation, will require members to "uphold the criminal law".

Under the rules, which if approved will come into effect after the next Senedd election in May, members will be required not to "subject anyone to personal attack - in any communication".

It says this can be verbal, in writing or any form of electronic or other medium "in a manner that would be considered excessive or abusive by a reasonable and impartial person".

The actions of members of the Senedd (MS) on social media have become an increasing focus of investigations into their behaviour in recent years.

In 2019 Gareth Bennett, the then UKIP member who now represents the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party, was excluded from the Senedd over a social media video about a Labour member.

He had superimposed Joyce Watson's head onto an image of a woman in a low-cut top.

The same year, Plaid Cymru Rhondda Senedd member Leanne Wood was reprimanded for swearing on Twitter.

Hefin David, the Labour member for Caerphilly, was found in breach of code of conduct for calling someone a "coc oen" (Welsh for "lamb's cock"), although he was not formally punished.

The new system aims to better align the conduct rules with the Senedd's dignity and respect anti-bullying policy adopted in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

It will include a clause seeking members to adhere to a principle of "respect", requiring members always behave in ways that promote equality of opportunity, respect the dignity of other persons and not engage in discriminatory or unwanted behaviour.

Standards investigations as they stand are confidential, but the code will also make it clear that members would be breaching the rules if they disclose details.

And while the current rules apply to member's private lives, the new code will make that explicit.

It is the standards commissioner who investigates complaints, before the standards committee rules on his investigations.

Douglas Bain is currently acting in the role, but a new commissioner is expected to be appointed for the new Senedd term.

Breaches of the code can be punished with members' exclusion from the Senedd for a period of time, and their salary cut as a result.

But the consultation asks if the Senedd should go further with financial penalties for sums wrongly claimed, and the power to expel members or make them subject of a recall petition, currently unavailable.

Legislation would be required if those measures were implemented.

Jayne Bryant, Senedd standards committee chairwoman, said: "The code of conduct sets the standard and tone of political debate, and now more than ever it is important to get this right.

"With a serious problem of online abuse and powerful campaigns such as the #MeToo movement and Black Lives Matter, we've got to do all we can to improve the tone of debate and set a standard that encourages trust in elected representatives and inspires people from all backgrounds to stand for election.

"We're keen to hear the view of people from across Wales on the refreshed code of conduct for members of the Senedd."