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Confusion over website blamed for AM's disqualification | |
(7 days later) | |
The Electoral Commission has cast doubt over its own statistics which suggest nobody visited a Welsh language website blamed for an AM's disqualification. | |
It apologised to Liberal Democrat AM Aled Roberts after a report said he was misled by outdated guidance. | |
He stood down because he belonged to a barred organisation but was reinstated by a vote of AMs on Wednesday. | |
Mr Roberts said he visited the Commission's Welsh-language site which gave him the wrong advice. | |
The Commission said it has no record of anyone visiting the site at the time in question, but that its statistics were not reliable. | |
North Wales AM Mr Roberts, the former leader of Wrexham council, stood down a fortnight after May's election because he belonged to the Valuation Tribunal for Wales, which deals with appeals about business rates and council tax, and is a public body from which AMs are barred. | |
AMs lifted his disqualification by 30 votes to 20 in the Senedd on Wednesday, with three abstaining. | AMs lifted his disqualification by 30 votes to 20 in the Senedd on Wednesday, with three abstaining. |
On Tuesday, a report by assembly standards commissioner Gerard Elias QC said Mr Roberts "did everything that he could have reasonably been expected to do in ensuring that he was not a disqualified person for the purpose of nomination or election". | On Tuesday, a report by assembly standards commissioner Gerard Elias QC said Mr Roberts "did everything that he could have reasonably been expected to do in ensuring that he was not a disqualified person for the purpose of nomination or election". |
The report said Mr Roberts, a qualified solicitor, followed Welsh-language advice from the Electoral Commission which referred him to regulations on proscribed bodies from 2006. They were replaced by a new order in 2010. | The report said Mr Roberts, a qualified solicitor, followed Welsh-language advice from the Electoral Commission which referred him to regulations on proscribed bodies from 2006. They were replaced by a new order in 2010. |
Mr Elias's report says the Electoral Commission "is unable to confirm or deny" that its Welsh web pages were visited. | |
Following the vote to lift the disqualification, the commission said statistics suggest nobody visited its Welsh-language website, although it also said its data-collecting methods were not wholly reliable. | |
Spokesman Rhydian Thomas told BBC Wales's CF99 programme on S4C: "Now this is not some kind of forensic analysis, it is possible that someone looked at it and it didn't register." | Spokesman Rhydian Thomas told BBC Wales's CF99 programme on S4C: "Now this is not some kind of forensic analysis, it is possible that someone looked at it and it didn't register." |
Mr Thomas said the commission had gathered statistics on how many hits the document received in Welsh and English. | |
'Matter for them' | 'Matter for them' |
He added: "The English version, to give an example, received around 143 hits. | He added: "The English version, to give an example, received around 143 hits. |
"But the Welsh version, from what we see, not one person looked at the document or downloaded the document." | "But the Welsh version, from what we see, not one person looked at the document or downloaded the document." |
Mr Thomas said that they looked at the number of hits between 21 February and 5 May 2011. | Mr Thomas said that they looked at the number of hits between 21 February and 5 May 2011. |
The Commission later said it provided the website statistics and an explanation about them to Mr Elias as part of his investigation. | |
It said: "As we made clear to Mr Elias we do not believe they are a reliable guide to whether or not individuals used our website and this is reflected in the conclusions in his report." | |
Mr Roberts said: "A link was sent out on 24 March from the Electoral Commission to the county councils and the Welsh link was wrong. I did look at it. | Mr Roberts said: "A link was sent out on 24 March from the Electoral Commission to the county councils and the Welsh link was wrong. I did look at it. |
"If their figures aren't reliable, then that's a matter for them. | "If their figures aren't reliable, then that's a matter for them. |
"But I know what I did, and that's the evidence I gave to Mr Elias." | "But I know what I did, and that's the evidence I gave to Mr Elias." |
Welsh Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams, said: "We have heard from the Electoral Commission last night that their methods of data collecting are not wholly reliable, as was the actual data on the site itself." | Welsh Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams, said: "We have heard from the Electoral Commission last night that their methods of data collecting are not wholly reliable, as was the actual data on the site itself." |
She added: "I don't think it adds anything new and I think if they did have different evidence they should have made that available to the police and to Gerard Elias and not be changing their mind having given different evidence." | She added: "I don't think it adds anything new and I think if they did have different evidence they should have made that available to the police and to Gerard Elias and not be changing their mind having given different evidence." |
Mr Roberts was one of two disqualified Lib Dems. | Mr Roberts was one of two disqualified Lib Dems. |
John Dixon, elected for the South Wales Central region, will not return after he failed to read the relevant regulations as a candidate. | John Dixon, elected for the South Wales Central region, will not return after he failed to read the relevant regulations as a candidate. |
He was replaced as an AM by Eluned Parrott, the party's second-place candidate in the region. | He was replaced as an AM by Eluned Parrott, the party's second-place candidate in the region. |