Newly elected Reform Member of the Senedd (MS) Cai Parry Jones has described the Welsh Parliament building as 'like Hogwarts crossed with a community leisure centre' and detailed a series of surreal and sinister experiences since taking office.
Election and First Impressions
Jones, who topped Reform's Senedd list for Cardiff North and East (Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf), received the news of his election while walking his dog. After a successful campaign involving hundreds of door knocks, he was declared elected at a sports hall near Cardiff City Stadium. Celebrations were cut short when he was asked to appear on BBC Wales at 11pm to discuss the result.
The following week, Jones was sworn in and issued work equipment, including two powerful laptops worth approximately £1,500 and £1,800. He questioned the need for two devices, discovering that one was intended for electronic voting in the debating chamber. 'If anyone forgot to bring their basic work equipment in the morning, they would be given a formal warning for being useless,' Jones said, criticising the culture of waste. He estimated that cutting such duplication could save around £200,000.
Death Threats and Security Concerns
Two weeks into the job, Jones received a call from Senedd security about a severe threat made against him on social media. A 'keyboard warrior' had stated they would kill him and his family if he 'stopped democracy in Wales.' Jones noted that he had never argued for stopping democracy. He recalled that 55 death threats were made to candidates during the Caerphilly by-election, all targeting the Reform candidate. South Wales Police took a formal statement and assured him they treat such threats seriously.
Jones also took the opportunity to ask the police officer about tackling e-bike crime, a concern raised repeatedly by constituents, and was told that rules prevent officers from chasing e-bike riders.
Lobbying and Transparency
Since taking office, Jones has been flooded with emails from lobbyists seeking to influence his votes. He described the lobbying environment in Cardiff Bay as 'murky' and in need of transparency. In its first weeks, Reform put down a motion calling for a lobbyist register and won the vote.
Jones also submitted a subject access request to the Senedd Commission, discovering that non-political staff had been discussing his social media posts internally, with some criticising his efficiency-saving proposals.
Role and Challenges
Jones was appointed to Reform's finance brief in the Shadow Cabinet, tasked with scrutinising the Welsh Government's spending. He opened a debate on Plaid's budget, which he said diverted funds from additional learning needs to questionably costed manifesto pledges.
Despite the challenges, Jones emphasised the privilege of representing constituents of all political parties and none, and pledged to continue working to make a difference.
