AM Keith Davies brought assembly into disrepute

Hotel row AM Keith Davies 'brought assembly into disrepute'


An assembly member brought the Welsh assembly into disrepute after a late-night drunken row at a five-star hotel, an official report has found.

Llanelli AM Keith Davies has apologised after the incident at the St David's Hotel in Cardiff in April.

A report by the assembly's standards commissioner details Mr Davies's behaviour while staying at the hotel.

He was staying at the hotel where some AMs who live outside Cardiff stay when the assembly is sitting.

He had been entitled to stay there at the taxpayers' expense but has since settled the bill himself.

Staff were subjected to "abuse and threats" from a female guest of Mr Davies's when they returned to the hotel after a night out at 04:45 BST on 24 April.

There were also numerous complaints from other guests about the noise from room 408, occupied by Mr Davies, a 71-year-old married father-of-two, and his guest.

'Foul-mouthed'

The woman, who has not been identified, also made "foul-mouthed detrimental comments about the hotel... witnessed by numerous guests from the lobby", the report by Gerard Elias QC says.

It adds there had also been "an indication that the AM did not intend to pay the bill".

In a letter to the assembly's standards committee Labour AM Mr Davies admitted he was "adversely affected by alcohol" and his behaviour fell short of the conduct expected from an assembly member.

"I wholly regret the pain and discomfort which I have brought upon my family," Mr Davies wrote.

He has written to the hotel apologising and has settled his bill at the hotel where some AMs who do not live in Cardiff stay there when the assembly is sitting.

The cross-party standards committee unanimously agreed Mr Davies had committed a clear and serious breach of AMs' code of conduct and said he should be censured.

A motion asking AMs to endorse the recommendation will go before the Senedd chamber on 16 May.


The details

Keith Davies checked in to the St David's Hotel and Spa (pictured above) at 19:00 BST on 23 April.

He left the hotel later that evening and attended the birthday celebrations of political lobbyist Daran Hill.

Witnesses say the night out ended at the Live Lounge bar in the centre of Cardiff.

Mr Davies returned to the hotel - "adversely affected by alcohol" - about 04:45 BST the following morning with a woman. Shortly after they ordered two bottles of wine.

The hotel reception received complaints about noise from his room, including loud shouting and swearing, between 05:30 BST and 08:30 BST.

Staff were threatened and abused when they phoned and visited room 408 to ask Mr Davies and his companion to keep the noise down.

He booked out about midday while his guest made "foul mouthed detrimental comments about the hotel from the first floor landing", the standards commissioner said.

Mr Davies left the hotel alone.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-17997345



i didnt know AM's were allowed to stay at hotels at our expense !!

why was he allowed to stay at a 5-star hotel when he was attending a evening birthday party ? !!.

sounds like the woman is the person who should be apologising

Season ticket holder at Parc y Scarlets so I'm prepared to turn a blind eye here

Mike wrote: Season ticket holder at Parc y Scarlets so I'm prepared to turn a blind eye here

Correct and there i was thinking it was that noisy lout behind me,

That was my first thought. Why are we paying for our AM's to stay in 5 star hotels in times of austerity.

Edited by ap sior - 10 May 2012 at 11:37pm

ap sior wrote: That was my first thought. Why are we paying for our AM's to stay in 5 star hotels in times of austerity.   Another point is this. Whilst he has now paid the bill would he have done so had this fiasco not happened ? Had he got in at a sensible hour of the morning he probably would not have paid the bill and this practice would have continued at our expense.   Calls himself a socialist ! Methinks that Keith is in the wrong party !

Me thinks you'd be amazed at how many socialists and unionists soon forget their roots when offered a seat on the gravy train.

I despise politics, mainly because it matters so much to us all yet is handled so incompetently by whoever governs us "on our behalf". When can we have a Common Sense Party that actually puts us and the country as priority, and not just getting their greedy snouts planted firmly in the trough.