Plaid Cymru criticised for taking part in lobbying event involving candidate who doubles as a lobbyist

But Reform would never do something unethical, never ever ever. ..

I really can't see anything wrong with this. It's open to Labour to extend the same opportunity via Cathy Owens, and Nerys Evans is only doing her present job, while Plaid, like every party, needs to interact with lobbyists and businesses.

Sorry - this just stinks. How was this to a ‘high ethical standard?’ Cavendish and their clients were given unfair access just because Nerys Evans is a lobbyist and politician.

Farcical. Any serious politicians should step down from such roles once selected; this is a glaring conflict of interest,. People make a lot of money from such events! It also speaks badly to Plaid's vetting process; if she wasn't prepared to stand down, why is she on the list. Are there actually any plans stand down?!

Typical Deryn - Cathy and Nerys behave like the own the Bay. They have no shame but we remember what they did and have blood on their hands!

The only reason Nerys Evans is second on the Plaid Cymru candidate list for MS in Caerfyrddin is that she possesses XX chromosomes. On the other hand we have an excellent female MP elected on purely on merit who did a real job prior to selection with no lobby schmoosing required.

Not what I expect from Plaid. This is like a fart in a lift. Wrong on so many levels.

Cathy and Nerys up to their old tricks again! One question I have, when is the Reform event? When is the Conservative event? Labour?

"The only people that Senedd Members should listen to are their constituents" And those constituents are saying "we want more jobs and better paying jobs" which doesn't happen without talking to businesses.

Presume Cavendish Cymru sponsored the whole day. How much did Plaid pocket? We need answers.

Plaid Cymru is owned by lobbyists. I was given a choice of either shutting up about Deryn's dodgy Ofcom contract or face the consequences. Facing consequences is always better than being owned. Well done Nation for reporting on this.

Are there any politicians in Westminster or the Senedd who don't meet lobbying groups? Look at all the Labour and Tory politicians who are in the pockets of pro-Israeli lobbying groups (and getting plenty of donations from them as well).

Good luck with trying to find a major party to vote for who don't meet with lobbying groups.

This is concerning - and smacks of the cronyism we normally associate with places like Westminster. And when we campaigned for devolution back in the day i recall us saying we wanted to do things 'differently' to Westminster. But even the Westminster Parliament now has a register of lobbyists. Despite a quarter of a century of welsh devolution there still isnt a register of professional lobbyists in the Senedd. This is a scandal and must be addressed as a matter of urgency. And as a plaid cymru supporter I expect to see a committment to creating a register of paid lobbyists in Wales in our manifesto for the Senedd election next (and if its not there we can rightly expect a kicking from our opponents - and the Welsh public - over it). PS. it goes without saying Nerys Evans should have stood down from her position with Cavendish once she secured a place on a plaid list for the Senedd - and she certainly needs to do so now if this damaging story isnt to become a unnecessary distraction for plaid in the run up to the Senedd elections. A paid lobbyist standing for our party isnt a good look.

This makes for an interesting read. It seems that 103 professional lobbyists stood for election at last year's General Election: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2024/07/revealed-the-103-professional-lobbyists-hoping-to-become-mps. It seems to be far more common than most people realise.

Nerys Evans was never the sharpest tool in the Plaid Cymru block. I question the wisdom of using Cavendish despite the Deryn connection that brought Nerys Evans in as its Wales ‘face’. She really should have sat this one out.

Nerys was always a slippery one. And an awful public speaker.

Cavendish Consultants are based at 'One Bartholomew' which is a prime new office building within Barts Square, a three-acre mixed use development that also contains retail units, restaurants and apartments. An exceedingly costly set up.Situated in the bustling Central London district of Farringdon, this 12-storey structure provides tenants with amenities entirely befitting the contemporary workforce. The design is integrated into extensive public realm improvements to create a pedestrian-friendly scheme enlivened by places to eat, drink and socialise at ground level. It oozes with upper middle class Englishness. You'd think Plaid Cymru's Nerys Evans clique would use some 'in house' - in Wales Group to advise their candidates. How things have changed. They used to have a HQ in Cathedral Road Cardiff that produced a good 'Plan for Wales'.That was two generations ago.