The Labour First Minister revealed today that the Welsh Government is currently examining funding for other organisations to establish if there are more ‘Awemas’.
It came as it was revealed that the Labour-supporting former Chief Executive of the scandal-hit body Awema, Naz Malik, said in 2008:
‘There is a danger of organisations that are in the charitable sector becoming so much a part of Government that they stop doing the work that they are there to do.’
Andrew RT Davies AM, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the National Assembly, has previously raised concerns that links between Awema and the Labour Party were a factor in the lack of robust scrutiny of the charity’s funding.
The South Wales Central AM today spoke out about fears that recent appointments of Labour Party activists to key public sector positions could lead to further blurring of the lines.
Andrew RT Davies said, “After the scandal of Awema, many taxpayers will be concerned to learn that the Welsh Government is unable to confirm that this is an isolated case.
“The Welsh Labour Government needs to rapidly establish whether any other publicly funded bodies have lost sight of their objectives.
“There is a perception in public life that carrying a Labour Party membership card is a benefit when seeking a senior public appointment.
“We need reassurances that the perceived cosy relationship between the Welsh Labour Government and Labour-supporting public officials is not a barrier to open and transparent governance.
“I hope Welsh Labour Ministers will move swiftly to convince voters that senior public appointments in Wales are about more than promoting Carwyn’s cronies.”
