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| Pressure grows on Carwyn Jones to order Carl Sargeant inquiry | Pressure grows on Carwyn Jones to order Carl Sargeant inquiry |
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| The first minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, is facing growing calls to commit to an independent investigation into his handling of harassment allegations made against the sacked minister Carl Sargeant. | The first minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, is facing growing calls to commit to an independent investigation into his handling of harassment allegations made against the sacked minister Carl Sargeant. |
| The leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, wrote to Jones on Friday to say it was of the “utmost importance” that Jones went further than his statement on Thursday night. | |
| Friends and colleagues of Sargeant have described the first minister’s statement as “too little too late” and of failing to reassure his bereaved family about his commitment to find answers. | Friends and colleagues of Sargeant have described the first minister’s statement as “too little too late” and of failing to reassure his bereaved family about his commitment to find answers. |
| Sargeant, 49, was found dead at his home in Connah’s Quay, Flintshire, on Tuesday morning, having apparently taken his own life four days after being sacked as the cabinet secretary for communities and children. It is understood that three women had made harassment allegations about Sargeant, which he denied. | Sargeant, 49, was found dead at his home in Connah’s Quay, Flintshire, on Tuesday morning, having apparently taken his own life four days after being sacked as the cabinet secretary for communities and children. It is understood that three women had made harassment allegations about Sargeant, which he denied. |
| In a letter to Jones on Friday, Davies said: “In your press conference yesterday, you alluded to the possibility of an independent inquiry into your handling of Carl Sargeant’s dismissal from the Welsh government cabinet, and the allegations which led to this decision. Indeed, you went as far as to say you would welcome the scrutiny.” | |
| He added: “In the spirit of transparency, and if confidence is to be restored in this process, I believe it is of the utmost importance to the family that you confirm today that this will now proceed in earnest.” | He added: “In the spirit of transparency, and if confidence is to be restored in this process, I believe it is of the utmost importance to the family that you confirm today that this will now proceed in earnest.” |
| Davies also called for a separate independent inquiry into allegations of bullying made by Leighton Andrews, a former Welsh government minister. Andrews said on Thursday night that Jones knew Sargeant was “fragile” before he sacked him. | |
| Mark Tami, the Labour MP for Sargeant’s constituency in Westminster and who shared an office with him, said he was confused by Jones’s statement and that there was an urgent need for an inquiry into the party’s handling of harassment allegations in general. | |
| Ian Lucas, the Labour MP for Wrexham, also wrote to Jones on Friday calling for him to announce an independent investigation. In a letter to the first minister, Lucas said he did not believe a coroner’s inquest would “address the issues necessary to learn the lessons of this terrible course of events”. | Ian Lucas, the Labour MP for Wrexham, also wrote to Jones on Friday calling for him to announce an independent investigation. In a letter to the first minister, Lucas said he did not believe a coroner’s inquest would “address the issues necessary to learn the lessons of this terrible course of events”. |
| I enclose a copy of a letter I have sent to the First Minister. pic.twitter.com/id3mzkLYqP | I enclose a copy of a letter I have sent to the First Minister. pic.twitter.com/id3mzkLYqP |
| Those close to Sargeant’s family said on Friday they were still absorbing the first minister’s statement and whether they would get the answers necessary from a coroner’s inquest. | Those close to Sargeant’s family said on Friday they were still absorbing the first minister’s statement and whether they would get the answers necessary from a coroner’s inquest. |
| In a highly charged press conference in Cardiff on Thursday, Jones defended his actions, saying everything had been done “by the book”. He said: “I had no alternative but to take the action that I did and I hope that people will understand that.” | In a highly charged press conference in Cardiff on Thursday, Jones defended his actions, saying everything had been done “by the book”. He said: “I had no alternative but to take the action that I did and I hope that people will understand that.” |
| Jones described Sargeant, as a great minister and chief whip, and said he could not imagine what his wife, Bernie, and his family were going through. | |
| He said: “Carl was my friend. In all the years that I knew him I never had a cross word with him. For 14 years we worked together. He ... served his country with distinction. Carl was a true force of nature. He drove through more legislation than any other minister. Not just through force of argument but through sheer force of personality and persuasion. | He said: “Carl was my friend. In all the years that I knew him I never had a cross word with him. For 14 years we worked together. He ... served his country with distinction. Carl was a true force of nature. He drove through more legislation than any other minister. Not just through force of argument but through sheer force of personality and persuasion. |
| “Wales has lost a person of great warmth, ability and charisma. These are the darkest days any of us can remember in this institution, but they are darkest of all for the family.” | “Wales has lost a person of great warmth, ability and charisma. These are the darkest days any of us can remember in this institution, but they are darkest of all for the family.” |
| Declining to answer questions, Jones said: “Everybody is grieving and it is not appropriate for me to get into precise detail. These are matters for the future.” He said his team would cooperate with the inquest due to open next week. | Declining to answer questions, Jones said: “Everybody is grieving and it is not appropriate for me to get into precise detail. These are matters for the future.” He said his team would cooperate with the inquest due to open next week. |
| On Wednesday, Sargeant’s family released correspondence showing that the allegations concerned “unwanted attention, inappropriate touching or groping” – which he had denied. | On Wednesday, Sargeant’s family released correspondence showing that the allegations concerned “unwanted attention, inappropriate touching or groping” – which he had denied. |
| A spokeswoman for the Welsh Labour party declined to comment. | A spokeswoman for the Welsh Labour party declined to comment. |