How Hefin David brought humour to the Senedd

Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter

Hefin David, the Labour Senedd member for Caerphilly who died suddenly last week, was one of life’s great characters.

He was intelligent, thoughtful and genuine – a tenacious campaigner on behalf of his Caerphilly constituents who was dedicated to improving people’s lives across Wales.

But he also had something in spades that few politicians possess: a proper sense of humour.

For many people, their abiding memory will be of a kind-hearted family man who had a knack for making people laugh and smile – even at the most trying times.

In that spirit, we trawled through the archives to bring you just some of Hefin’s very many witty contributions in the Senedd over the years.

[mid-content-banner]

‘We’ll get one off Temu’

Often a forward-thinker, Hefin led a debate in February on future flight technology, everything from drones to flying cars, laying down a challenge to economy secretary Rebecca Evans.

“Far from being the stuff of sci-fi, these air vehicles are actually working,” he told the debating chamber. “I invite the minister to try one – we'll get one off Temu.”

Scrutinising the housing minister in June, he asked whether the Welsh Government would give more money if the leader of Caerphilly council called for it.

“Just say, 'yes', and I'll let him know,” he remarked before his colleague could answer.

Hefin was a heckler extraordinaire, often getting a ticking off from the chair.

Calling for order in January, Elin Jones, the Senedd’s speaker or Llywydd, said: “Can we listen to the minister's response? She's being heckled by her own backbenches.”

Hefin jokingly set the record straight, intervening to point out that he was heckling Plaid Cymru’s Cefin Campbell – not his partner Vikki Howells, the higher education minister.

[lower-mid-content-banner]

‘Don’t put that on a leaflet’

During a debate about rugby TV rights in July last year, he said he had a lot in common with Rishi Sunak who had bemoaned going without “lots of things” as a child including Sky TV.

“My dad wouldn't let us have Sky either and we had to listen to it on the radio,” Hefin told the Senedd, stressing that’s all he had in common with the former Tory prime minister.

Plaid Cymru’s Delyth Jewell later joked: “Who knew you had so much in common with Rishi Sunak? For anyone who missed the beginning of the debate, I'm not going to give context.”

Hefin told his political opponent: “Don't put that on a leaflet!”

In February last year, as the Senedd discussed apprenticeships, Hefin thanked colleagues for referencing a report on transitions to employment which he had authored.

He said: “I'd be far too modest to do so myself but now that they have…”

‘Wayne David isn’t my dad’

In mid-November, Hefin paid tribute to the first minister’s warmth during a debate on Eluned Morgan’s first 100 days in office.

He told the Senedd: “We've known each other a long time now, she's the only first minister who gives me a cwtch every time I see her. I can see Mark Drakeford getting a little worried there – I'm not expecting anything, finance minister.”

Hefin had a way of diffusing a fraught situation with humour as in September 2023 when the Senedd was asked to express no confidence in the then-transport minister over 20mph.

He paid credit to the Conservatives: “They've achieved something today that many have tried and many have failed: they've united two thirds of this chamber around Lee Waters.”

Then, he told the Senedd about an email he received from a constituent, saying: “It may well be you have an ambition to be our representative in Westminster when your dad retires.”

Hefin clarified: “Wayne David isn't my dad and I think we need to make that absolutely clear.”

‘Promoted to the backbenches’

During first minister’s questions in July 2022, he struggled to hold it together to ask his question due to a colleague mucking about on the back benches.

He said: “I’m sorry. Alun Davies was being very silly there, he made me laugh.”

The speaker joked: “That statement is now on the record.”

On another occasion, Hefin congratulated his Labour colleague on his “promotion” to the backbenches after he was sacked by then-incoming first minister Mark Drakeford.

Following a fiery exchange between the then-first minister and Plaid Cymru’s leader at FMQs in December 2022, Hefin lightened the mood as he would often do.

“Last week marked the one-year anniversary of the co-operation agreement, I'm glad to see it's still so healthy,” he said, prompting laughter around the chamber.

‘She’s either staring me out or she’s frozen’

When Dawn Bowden revealed in a June 2022 meeting that Hefin told her he would hide in the changing rooms to avoid PE at school, he joked: “That was a confidential conversation!”

And, in a remote meeting during the pandemic, Hefin wasn’t 100% sure if the then-culture minister was having technical troubles. “She’s either staring me out or she’s frozen,” he said.

In June 2021, he told the Senedd: “You won’t believe this but I was awful at sport in school,” as he claimed credit for the Senedd rugby side "absolutely smashing” Westminster’s team.

“But, in school, I was not interested in sport because I felt it was a team game,” he said. “And the chief whip will know I'm not so good at team stuff sometimes.”

When a transport chief lost their thread while appearing before a Senedd committee in January 2021, Hefin could hardly resist pointing out: “You lost your train of thought.”

‘One thing I haven’t done is upset the Queen’

In 2019, Hefin, a child of the 1980s, was chuffed to bits with the title of a committee report about the Welsh Baccalaureate, proclaiming ‘Bacc to the future’ as one of the best ever.

Another time, while trying to pry a clear-cut answer out of his friend and colleague Vaughan Gething, he said: “I feel like Jeremy Paxman interviewing Michael Howard.”

Hefin wasn’t afraid to poke fun at himself. When a witness described sixth formers as “more mature” in 2020, Hefin replied in typical fashion: “You didn’t know me in sixth form, then.”

In September 2022, he recalled an encounter with the Queen at the Senedd’s official opening after he was first elected in 2016: “She was looking directly at me. I have to say, Llywydd, I feel uncomfortable when you look directly at me.

“I wasn't sure whether she had a frown on her face. I wasn't sure whether I had upset her, and I was thinking, 'Oh my God, I've upset her – it's probably because I'm wearing a red tie'.

“But … she did actually give me – and I'm not making this up – a reassuring smile. So, I could rest easy… and think, 'One thing I haven't done is upset the Queen'.”