Scandal had Wyn won election

 

He lost the election to Conservative Russell George but it has now emerged that the Welshpool area farmer would have been disqualified because of his membership of the Assembly Government backed Meat Promotion Wales.

 

Williams would have been asked to stand down after his membership of the quango was disclosed on BBC’s Dragon’s Eye forcing a bi-election.

 

AMs are barred from the organisations under an order intended to prevent conflicts of interest.

 

And yesterday the Liberal Democrat said it was nothing more than an administrative error and that he had intended resigning from the body had he been elected.

 

“I was aware that I could not sit on the Meat Promotion Wales body if elected and had disclosed to them that I was a political candidate. But at no time was I aware that I needed to resign prior to putting my name forward as an Assembly candidate.

 

“While it is nothing more than an administrative error I have had to accept that it was my responsibility though I have always been very open about being a member of Meat Promotion Wales, which only meets six or seven times a year.

 

“I had signed a document for Meat Promotion Wales disclosing my political activity and this had been forwarded to the Welsh Assembly Government which I assumed was all I had to do.

 

“We are all wise after the event though and hindsight is a wonderful thing. I thought I had done all I needed to do and can assure everyone that there was nothing under handed about this situation. It is purely an administrative error.

 

“I will be making absolutely sure that everything is clear before the next election,” he added.

And the candidate has received the full backing of his party following the revelations.

 

Welsh Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams called it "a huge administrative error" and said the mistake meant the party had not provided their candidate with "robust support".

 

Ms Williams said: "The Liberal Democrats did not do what we should have done and left candidates to their own devices far too much.