Tory Welsh Secretary accused of ministerial code breach with social media video

A Conservative cabinet minister has been accused of breaching the ministerial code after appearing to use his Government office in Whitehall to film an anti-Labour video he then posted on social media.

Welsh Secretary David TC Davies appears in a short film which was shared on X, formerly Twitter, last week.

In it he speaks about plans to expand the size of the Welsh Senedd and highlights the Welsh Conservative Party’s opposition to such a move.

In the video dated May 8, Mr Davies said the Welsh Labour government had to decide whether it wanted to spend £120 million of taxpayers’ money on more Senedd members or increase the number of nurses, doctors, dentists and teachers, as the Conservatives would do instead.

He adds: “I know which side I am on.”

Labour believe the location of the filming is a breach of the ministerial code, which states: “Ministers are provided with facilities at Government expense to enable them to carry out their official duties. These facilities should not generally be used for party or constituency activities.”

Shadow Welsh secretary Jo Stevens said: “This behaviour needs to be swept away along with this clapped-out Conservative Government.

“Under Labour, the Wales Office will once again focus on and deliver for people across Wales.”

In 2023, MP Lee Anderson was rebuked for using a parliamentary rooftop to film a promotion video for his £100,000-a-year GB News show.

The Serjeant at Arms, who is responsible for upholding order in the Commons, contacted Mr Anderson, who was the Conservative Party deputy chairman at the time but now sits as Reform UK MP, over his Twitter clip to remind him of the rules.

Mr Davies, the Conservative Party and the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards have been contacted for a response.