FMQs: Drakeford ‘allergic to scrutiny’ says Davies
After the recent exchange with Mark Drakeford during FMQs, Andrew RT Davies MS, the Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, asserted:
“The First Minister appears to have an aversion to scrutiny.
“He has declined to initiate an independent, Wales-specific COVID inquiry and now hesitates to respond to questions in the Senedd, despite being willing to discuss these matters with national journalists.
“The First Minister should abandon the notion that he can selectively choose which questions to answer based on convenience.”
The situation raises questions about Drakeford’s willingness to undergo scrutiny. There is also a broader concern about democracy, with uncertainties about whether Labour or Plaid Cymru is undermining it. Plaid Cymru, despite affiliating itself with Labour and supporting their decisions, has criticized Drakeford for evading questions in the Welsh Parliament. Plaid ap Iorwerth emphasized that “picking and choosing who you are willing to be scrutinised by is no way to do politics.”
While the refusal to be scrutinized is criticized, there’s a perceived contradiction when Plaid Cymru aligns with Labour, potentially compromising their stance on accountability. When Andrew RT Davies inquired about Drakeford’s use of WhatsApp in relation to the Covid inquiry, the First Minister bluntly declined, stating, “I am a witness at the Covid inquiry. I will answer their questions, whatever points they put to me. I am not going to offer a preview of what I say to the inquiry. I will pay the inquiry the respect I think it believes, and I will give my answers to them as a witness.”
