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Simon Thomas resigns as Plaid Cymru Welsh Assembly Member | Simon Thomas resigns as Plaid Cymru Welsh Assembly Member |
(35 minutes later) | |
Simon Thomas has resigned as a Welsh Assembly Member and quit Plaid Cymru. | |
The 54-year-old married father-of-two was elected as Plaid AM for the Mid and West Wales region in 2011. | |
Mr Thomas, who was MP for Ceredigion between 2000 and 2005, has deleted his Twitter page and personal website. | Mr Thomas, who was MP for Ceredigion between 2000 and 2005, has deleted his Twitter page and personal website. |
In a statement, the Assembly's Presiding Officer Elin Jones said: "The Llywydd has received a letter of resignation from Simon Thomas with immediate effect." | |
As the announcement of Mr Thomas's resignation came, Plaid Cymru chair Alun Ffred Jones said the party was "aware of a police investigation into allegations of a serious offence". | |
"Due to that ongoing investigation it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time," he said. | |
The resignation of Mr Thomas, a former leadership candidate in 2013 before dropping out, will not trigger a by-election as he was a list member. | |
Former AM Helen Mary Jones, who is next on the Plaid list in the Mid and West Wales region, will replace him. | |
The former librarian, who lives in Aberystwyth, was a special senior advisor to former deputy first minister Ieuan Wyn Jones before he was elected to the assembly. |