Who was Carl Sargeant?
Carl Sargeant rose from the factory floor in north Wales to the corridors of power in the Welsh government. He served as an assembly member for more than 14 years. A gregarious and popular politician, he had worked as chief whip for the Labour administration and at the time of his death in November 2017 was the cabinet secretary for communities and children.
Sargeant campaigned passionately against domestic violence. He had also harboured ambitions of becoming first minister. He was married to Bernie Sargeant, whom he had met in the Labour club in their home town of Connah’s Quay, and they had two children, Lucy and Jack. Few knew he had mental health issues. To relax, he watched football, and also loved crocheting. At the time of his death he was making a dress for Bernie.
Was his position in the Welsh government secure?
Friends have said Sargeant began to feel worried about his position in the months before his death. But the then first minister, Carwyn Jones, has said that in October 2017 he was pencilling him in for the job of leader of the house.
What were the allegations against him?
In 2014 Jones received an anonymous letter from someone claiming to be a Labour party member alleging Sargeant was “not fit to be around women”. Jones warned Sargeant to be careful about his conduct and to temper his drinking. In May 2016 Jones said he was told by the then general secretary of Welsh Labour, David Hagendyk, that a woman, Ms C, had come forward to make complaints about Sargeant. She did not wish the matter to be pursued but wanted Jones to know. Jones said he did not speak to Sargeant as it would risk exposing the complainant.
Did more allegations emerge?
In October 2017 Jones’s senior special adviser, Matt Greenough, told the first minister of rumours of inappropriate behaviour by Sargeant towards two women. It came at the height of the #MeToo movement. Jones said he was not prepared to act on rumours but a few days later Hagendyk, who by then had left his role as general secretary, phoned Greenough and gave him the names of the women, referred to later as Ms A and Ms B.
The alleged incidents involved “unwelcome attention, inappropriate touching or groping” and were said to have taken place in the summer of 2017. Neither Jones nor his advisers spoke to Sargeant to hear his side. By the start of November one of the women had made a written statement and Jones decided he had no choice but to sack Sargeant.
Have there been any other claims?
During the inquest the existence emerged of text messages between two Labour councillors that suggested Sargeant had done something that could have resulted in a prison sentence. It was also revealed that another anonymous letter had been written after Sargeant was supposedly seen with a woman in a pub garden. There was also talk during the inquest of an alleged incident at a wedding reception.
Earlier this year Jones told the Guardian that a total of nine women had come forward to make allegations against Sargeant. Bernie Sargeant has said she believes he was innocent of all allegations. The family believe there have been attempts to slur Sargeant after his death. The coroner, John Gittins, described the allegations that surfaced in the texts and the pub garden and wedding claims as “rumour, multiple hearsay and speculation”.
How did the sacking take place?
The dismissal was swift. Sargeant was called into Jones’s office in Cardiff on Friday 3 November 2017 and told during a 10-minute meeting that he was sacked. Jones did not give details of the allegations, pending an investigation. Two hours later Sargeant was suspended by the Labour party, again pending an investigation.
How did Sargeant react to his dismissal?
Bernie Sargeant said he was shellshocked, destroyed. He told his family and a staff member he had let them down. His widow and children believe he meant they would face pressure from the media rather than because he had actually done anything wrong. His family argue he was cut off from his beloved Labour party and had been prejudged. They say he was devastated that he could not defend himself because he did not know the detail of the allegations and was very upset when a BBC reporter doorstepped him at the family home. He was found dead four days after his dismissal.
Was any pastoral care put in place for Sargeant?
Little, if any. A Labour assembly member, Ann Jones, was asked to stay in touch with Sargeant over that weekend, the inquest heard, but there was no formal support system for sacked ministers. Carwyn Jones told the inquest that politics was a “brutal business” and asked rhetorically during the hearing whether police officers had a duty of care to someone who had been arrested and named, adding: “Where does it end?” Gittins replied: “It shouldn’t end, we’re talking about people’s lives.”
Has Carwyn Jones’s image been tarnished?
Jones was accused in court by the Sargeant family’s barrister of lying under oath over what measures had been put in place for his colleague after he was sacked. Jones said he mistakenly gave misleading evidence and did not lie. Jones was also criticised in court over a television interview the day before Sargeant died in which he described the claims against him as “incidents” rather than allegations. Sargeant’s family and supporters say this fuelled his despair. Jones remains the assembly member for Bridgend. Sargeant’s family are angry at what they see as a lack of contrition. Jones has always maintained that he acted correctly over Sargeant’s dismissal. He has said he could not give more details to Sargeant as this could have identified the women allegedly involved. He has also said he felt it was not appropriate for him to contact Sargeant personally after the sacking.
What has been the impact on the Labour party?
There have always been factions within Welsh Labour and sometimes the party has been affected by a north-south divide. Jones stepped down as first minister and Welsh Labour leader in December but remains a significant figure in the party. He will face fresh scrutiny when an inquiry on Sargeant’s dismissal takes place. The inquest has exposed concerns in Wales and on a UK-wide level over how disciplinary matters are conducted. Sargeant’s son, Jack, has succeeded his father as the assembly member for Alyn and Deeside.
Have Labour and the Welsh government made changes?
The Labour party says it has made “very significant” changes around safeguarding to make sure people who are suspended have access to support. But it accepts those who are accused could be left in limbo while investigations take place. A working group is examining how allegations and suspensions are handled. The party says it has learned lessons from Sargeant’s death and will continue to do so. When the new Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, announced his first reshuffle, all ministers were reminded of the support services available as assembly members.
