Rhianon Passmore, Assembly Member for Islwyn, faces a two-week ban without pay from the Welsh Assembly after failing to give a breath test to the police.
Ms Passmore was banned from driving by Newport Magistrates’ Court on February 12 after admitting a charge that she failed to provide police with a test for analysis.
The Assembly’s standards committee has recommended that she is excluded for 14 days.
The Islwyn AM, elected in 2016, received a 20-month driving ban and was told to pay a £1,000 fine and a £100 victim surcharge after being arrested by police in the St Mellons area of Cardiff in September last year.
In evidence to Sir Roderick Evans, Commissioner for Standards, Ms Passmore admitted she had drunk three glasses of wine in Cardiff before she took a high dose of the medication prednisone, after suffering an asthma attack.
The report found that when asked to provide a breath sample by police, she was unable to. After being placed on a drip and oxygen while in police custody, Ms Passmore was admitted to hospital where she remained until the following afternoon.
Ms Passmore apologised for her actions, and said: “I self-referred myself to the Standards Commissioner. I assume responsibility. I accept the recommendations of the commissioner and the decision of the Assembly’s standards committee.
“Whilst I wish to maintain privacy for my private life and for my family, I do want to acknowledge the support I have received following the difficult separation from my husband over the past 12 months.
“I re-affirm my pledge to the people of Islwyn to represent them with the passionate, determined voice I have sought to give them since they elected me to the National Assembly for Wales.”
How ironic that a Welsh Labour AM could not produce a sample when usually they’re more than accustomed to spouting a load of hot air.
Absolutely disgusting now has a criminal record should not hold office.
She “self-referred” when caught, and now asks for privacy! She wasn’t on private property drunk at the wheel; she was endangering the lives of the public! This woman is of poor character and should not be representing the people she put at risk through her selfish actions. If she was truly assuming responsibility she would resign her position in shame.
So the lady made a mistake, everyone does. However when you are in a public office you can not afford to make such silly mistakes, you have no choice when representing people but to act with dignity and honour. Personally regardless of which party she represents I believe it gives out the wrong message to the electorate and she is not fit for a public office role where she is representing the people. She should resign.
Absolutely – she should resign and if she does not do so voluntarily then she should be forced to resign by the Standards Commissioner.
People do make mistakes. But she drank three glasses of wine and then got behind the wheel. That wasn’t a mistake; that was a choice.
As you say, it was not a mistake – it was her choice.
She thought she was above the law with the police.
Respect for the people who voted for her regardless she should be sacked.