First Minister Mark Drakeford is facing a growing backlash over claims he made during a Senedd debate about the families of Covid victims in Wales. Campaigners had previously said the first minister had lied when he said they had moved on from demanding a Welsh-specific inquiry.
Politicians and campaigners are now continuing to pressure the First Minister to withdraw the claims. Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Conservatives have both written to Mr Drakeford calling on him to correct the record or clarify the remarks in the Senedd.
Speaking in the Senedd on Tuesday, the Welsh Labour leader had said that he believed: "From meetings I've had with them, that, unlike the leader of the opposition (Conservative Andrew RT Davies), they are moving on from continuing to ask for something which is not going to happen."
He added: "The leader of the opposition can, of course, go on making his case for as long and as loudly as he likes. In the meantime, the world has moved on."
Plaid's Rhun ap Iorwerth has written to Mark Drakeford asking him to withdraw his comments regarding the campaigners having “moved on”.
He said: "They have not ‘moved on’ and, like me, remain convinced that COVID-19 decisions taken in Wales should be scrutinised in Wales. While some decisions were made at UK level, much of the response to the pandemic here in Wales has been in the hands of the Welsh Government, and the only way to truly learn lessons of the pandemic would be to have our own Wales-specific public inquiry."
Mr Drakeford's comments came hours after it was announced that campaign group set up to seek justice for Welsh families who lost loved ones to Covid-19 has been given a key role in a UK-wide public inquiry into government handling of the pandemic. You can read more about that here.
Members of the Covid Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru group have been deeply critical of the First Minister. Sam Smith-Higgins, from the campaign, called Mr Drakeford's remarks "shameful".
She told BBC Radio Wales Drive Time: "To say that families have moved on is just, quite frankly, insulting. The UK inquiry, some of our team were up there (for the opening), representing Welsh families. Module one of the UK inquiry, Wales is not even mentioned in it.
"We, along with Scottish and Northern Ireland families have been today saying you need to look at Wales as well. The group would always want a Wales Covid inquiry. Decisions made in Wales should be scrutinised in Wales."
Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies has asked Mr Drakeford to "clarify" the comments, or "correct the record".
The Welsh government has said it would respond in due course. A Welsh government source told the BBC Mr Drakeford's reference to "moving on" was in relation to comments in a press release by the campaign.
That release said Mr Drakeford was unconvinced by the need for a Wales-only inquiry and the group "have therefore shifted their focus to ensuring that Wales is fully scrutinised in the UK Covid-19 Inquiry".
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