On Radio Wales’ Sunday Supplement this morning, Welsh Liberal Democrat Business Manager, Peter Black described the Electoral Commission as ‘not fit for purpose’ and suggested that they need to actively demonstrate and convince stakeholders over the next few months that they are up to the job they have been charged with.
In his Wales on Sunday Spin Doctor column, Matt Withers reports on a piece of gossip, which if true, underlines how much the Electoral Commision have been in denial on their own competence:
Kay Jenkins, head of the hapless Electoral Commission, was contrite last week about the mistakes which led to two AMs being barred from office for being members of groups which blah blah blah… you get the idea.
But how did she feel originally?
A very well-placed source tells Spin Doctor that, at the first monthly meeting of commissioners following May’s Assembly Election, Ms Jenkins said that the organisation of the election had been, er, “fine”.
The source whispers: “She didn’t mention the fact two AMs had been disqualified. George Reid [an Electoral Commissioner who is a former Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament] had to intervene and flag up the disqualifications because Kay Jenkins hadn’t done so.”
Spin Doctor asked the commission whether it was true but, to the surprise no-one who has followed this unedifying saga, they declined to comment.
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