Burnham furious at Plaid police pay deal hypocrisy.

3.52.43pm GMT Wed 13th Feb 2008

Eleanor Burnham, Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for North Wales, is disgusted at Plaid Cymru's hypocrisy over fair pay for North Wales police. After Plaid Cymru voted against asking the Welsh government to lobby Westminster for the full pay settlement, Alun Ffred Jones Plaid AM commented on the Plaid website:

"Plaid Cymru has, from the outset, been outraged by London Labour's scandalous decision to not give police their pay rise in full. I welcome the action the One Wales Government has taken to ensure that the UK Ministers are in no doubt as to the Assembly's views on this issue. It is Plaid's position that the UK government should make the payment in full, following the Scottish SNP Government's lead. Had policing powers been devolved to Wales, as in Scotland, as the Chief Constables themselves have called for, Police in Wales could have had the pay rise in full."

Ms Burnham said:

"It is hypocritical that the 13 of 15 Plaid Assembly Members voted against a motion for the Welsh Assembly Government to lobby Westminster on a fair deal for the Police.

"It is shocking that a senior Plaid Assembly Member slams the Westminster government for not supporting the pay deal when his own party refused to show their support for the Police in the Senedd.

"What is even worse is that Bethan Jenkins AM PC put out a statement of opinion, an instrument AMs use to highlight important issues, calling for the 'UK Government to honour the pay award recommended by the Police Arbitration Board in full'

"To date, 8 Plaid Cymru AMs have signed up reaffirming this statement, the same Assembly Members who voted against asking the Welsh government to lobby Westminster on the issue."

Ends/Diwedd

Notes to editor:

What was debated:

NDM3853 William Graham (South Wales East)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

Calls upon the Assembly Government to review the support it gives to Police Forces in Wales.

The following amendments have been tabled:

Amendment 1 - William Graham (South Wales East)

Delete all after National Assembly for Wales: And replace with

"Calls upon the Assembly Government to lobby the Westminster Government to honour the recent pay award for the police in full with immediate effect"

What was said and how each Assembly Member voted:

http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-chamber/bus-chamber-third-assembly-rop.htm?act=dis&id=73616&ds=1/2008

Copy of Bethan Jenkins Statement of Opinion:

http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-guide-docs-pub/bus-business-documents/bus-business-documents-state-opinion.htm?act=dis&id=71140&ds=2/2008