Tory Janet Finch-Saunders used Senedd resources for party politics, says watchdog

A Conservative Member of the Senedd (MS) used public resources for party political purposes, the parliament's standards watchdog has found. However, Janet Finch-Saunders was cleared of bullying. The Senedd will debate and vote on a recommendation to reprimand the Aberconwy MS next week. Finch-Saunders declined to comment ahead of that debate, but throughout the standards commissioner's investigation she denied any wrongdoing. Senedd members are subject to strict rules which prohibit the use of taxpayer-funded Senedd resources - including staff, office space and materials - for party political purposes. However, the Senedd's Standards Commissioner, Douglas Bain, found that Finch-Saunders "repeatedly caused or permitted" a member of staff to carry out party political work in the constituency office during normal working hours. According to Bain's investigation, a total of 52 emails of a party political nature were sent between Janet Finch-Saunders and the member of staff between 1 November 2024 and 1 August 2025. All of these emails, which discussed matters such as the design and printing of Welsh Conservative leaflets for the party's stall at the Anglesey show, were processed by the