Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

Part of 2. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:13 pm on 14 November 2017.

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Photo of Carwyn Jones Carwyn Jones Labour 2:13, 14 November 2017

I think there are two things here: first of all, with the independent inquiry and with the inquest, I think it's hugely important that the whole story is told at once and not bits. So, I'm not able to comment on various things that have been said—I don't think it's right for anybody. I think it's hugely important that the whole story is there for all to see, rather than it come out in bits and pieces—I don't think that would be the right process at all.

Secondly, do I think there are lessons for all parties to learn? There may be. I think it's important that we, as political parties, do that. Politics is a very difficult business, we know that. People can be sacked from cabinets, they can be put into cabinets, without any reason. People can go to an election count and they can find themselves in a job, and then find themselves out of a job, while a cheering crowd applauds the fact that they're not in a job. It is, in that sense, a very brutal business. But one of the things that struck me earlier on today is that perhaps, as parties, we should consider how to take not the edge, not the need for forensic examination, not the debate, not the scrutiny, out of politics, but to see how we can make it less brutal than it is. I think that that's something that, as all parties, we may want to consider in the future.