Tony Benn used to say,

'What power have you got? Where did you get it from? In whose interests do you exercise it? To whom are you accountable? And how can we get rid of you?'

Now, the ombudsman in Wales seems to enjoy almost absolute power. Power corrupts, we're told, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. So, how does an everyday person get recourse with the ombudsman in Wales if they are treated badly by the ombudsman? And the answer in Wales is that they just can't. The only option open is a judicial review or a vote in the Assembly. So, unless a person has friends of serious net worth willing to fund a judicial review, the ombudsman has virtual absolute power, and that cannot be right. 

A person in north Wales claims to have been bullied by the ombudsman. A Cardiff resident states that the ombudsman is corrupt. A person in Carmarthenshire says that the ombudsman has covered things up, and also alleges corruption, and I'm in the process of looking at these allegations. The ombudsman seems to rely on gagging orders, and I want to talk about my experience, because the case in which I was involved and found guilty of an offence was firstly dismissed. Only after the personal intervention of the ombudsman did the investigation begin into me. 

Now, the investigating officer in my case was a former Cardiff council manager, who left the authority when I was deputy leader during a restructure, and I wasn't allowed to call witnesses in my tribunal. The ombudsman refused to disclose e-mails relating to my case. During the tribunal, a transcript was said to be inaccurate—a court transcript that supported my position. Many members of the public were not allowed into the tribunal either, and many people say it was a farce and a political show trial. 

I also had proof that the ombudsman had discussed my case, when it was supposed to be confidential, with another individual. I had text messages indicating this, and I wasn't allowed to present them. How can that be right? So, needless to say, I have massive—massive—concerns with the position of ombudsman in Wales and the power that that enjoys. In my opinion, these powers are already being misused. So, why on earth would I vote for more powers? I'll be voting against the proposal.