Plaid Cymru failed to implement a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment according to a damning new report into the party's leadership and procedures. The party's National Executive Committee and leader Adam Price jointly commissioned the former Plaid Cymru Assembly Member Nerys Evan to look into the party's culture.
Last autumn Plaid Member for South Wales Central Rhys ab Owen was suspended for allegedly breaching the code of conduct for MSs and is currently being investigated by the Standards Commissioner. According to the party the suspension was "mutually agreed" and was a "neutral act". Mr ab Owen has not commented. Following this, and after a WalesOnline investigation exposed serious concerns within the party about how the leadership dealt with allegations of sexual assault, Ms Evans began her working group conducting a comprehensive review of the party’s culture and processes.
The report is utterly damning of the party leadership and makes 82 recommendations – all of which the party leadership have accepted and taken on board. In the summary of the report's findings it states: "No organisation or workplace is immune from misconduct of this kind but an environment where there is an inherent imbalance of power creates obvious vulnerabilities and concerns. This, coupled with inaction over many years from those with positions of power to challenge bad behaviour, has made a bad situation even worse."
