Lindsay Whittle, Plaid Cymru AM for South East Wales, has revealed he has donated £1,350 to charities and good causes as he will be away from the National Assembly for two weeks.
Mr Whittle said he had committed to travelling to Australia to watch Wales’ rugby team on an overseas tour before he was elected in May last year and made the donations well in advance of the trip.
The donations he has made are:
- £500 St David’s Hospice
- £250 as sponsorship for wheel-chair user Damian Williams who did a for sky dive in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis charity
- £250 for a disadvantaged family needing help in Trevethin.
- £350 donation to the owner of Tafarn Ty Elise in Brittany to help him rebuild his Welsh/Celtic pub that specialises in folk music. It burned down some years ago. It is owned by Byn Walters originally from Merthyr Tydfil.
Mr Whittle said: “It’s been a lifetime ambition of mine to follow Wales on an overseas trip to Australia and I’d committed to going on the a trip before I was elected to the National Assembly. I’ve wanted to do that while I’m still in good health.
“I’ve made donations totalling £1,350 to groups and individuals, equivalent to the amount I receive as an Assembly Member while I’m away. It wasn’t easy to choose which causes I’d donate the money to, but I’ve chosen a balance of charities and other causes which are all close to my heart.
“I’m picking up my emails while in Australia and I arranged a meeting with the Lord Mayor of Melbourne before I left home. I also have an excellent staff in Cardiff Bay and at my office in Pontypool and they will deal with matters efficiently on my behalf until I return. I have arranged for my fellow regional AM, Jocelyn Davies, to deal with any urgent matters that occur during my time in Australia.
“This will be a new experience for me as I never normally take more than a week’s holiday. I will certainly make up for it over the summer months when others are enjoying their holidays and I will be back home working on behalf of my constituents as usual.”
What a nice gesture, I think many will understand the desire to travel whilst in good health and I wish Mr Whittle a very pleasant trip.
Like Helen I am happy that Lindsay donates this money (from the public purse) to the good causes he has recognised, He will not earn it during his two week golly and he is doing the correct thing, other politicians could take a leaf out of Lindsay`s book!!!!.
A very honest and noble thing to do. Lyndsay deserves credit for doing something that not many politicians would even think about. I’m sure the worthy causes will be delighted with the donations.
If the Welsh Team play with as much heart and integrity as Lyndsay the Team will have a very successful tour. Good luck to the Welsh Team and Lyndsay.
Chwarae teg to Lindsay.
I don’t think anyone could begrudge someone for pursuing a lifetime’s ambition while they are fit enough to see it through. It would be a different matter if he was claiming money from the public purse while out in Oz but he is not.
Gareth: YES he is claiming money from the public purse whilst jollying it on the other side of the World, but his credibility is totally in tact by his proactive decision to donate that money to good causes and not trouser it like lots of politicians have done in recent months, for that reason, Lindsay sets himself apart from money grabbing public serving elected representatives who take rent for two houses, huge amounts to feed themselves, and, double up on this and that because the rules which they sey themselves allow them top legally do so.
Perhaps any politician found doing so in the future and their credibility brought into question could be properly measured by the ` Lindsay Rule`?.
It is of course generous for Lindsay Whittle to give some of his salary to charity whilst he’s on holiday in Australia. And i hope that he enjoys himself especially if the Welsh team win the remaining 2 tests.
But the comments that i’ve read so far miss the point. The real point is about AM’s taking time off for holidays when the Assembly is sitting!!. Its perfectly reasonable for an AM to have a couple of weeks holiday but its expected unless there’s a highly unusual reason that such holidays are taken during recess.
I’m reminded that abouta year ago Plaid Cymru told Carwyn Jones that Labour would have to make sure that all their AM’s were always present whereas Plaid did not have to. That prompted Carwyn Jones to respond that Plaid were saying that Assembly attendance for them was optional. Lindsay’s absence offers proof of this.
So the real question for Plaid is this-provided your AM’s give something to charity, will it be ok for them to miss Assembly duties?. Is Plaid a serious political party.
One final thought, are Lindsay’s electorate in the Penyrheol Ward of the Caerphilly County Borough Council aware that he holds 2 public offices, one as a Plaid Councillor and the other as a member of the Welsh Assembly (albeit elected under the Regional List system) Surely there is a conflict of interest here, which one is the most important? clearly neither when he trapes off to Australia and is absent for both his Assembly and Council duties!!