Jacob Williams https://jacobwilliams.com

Thursday, 2nd August, 2012

Damage limitation?

Readers of my website will have noticed the discrepancies when reading the story in the Western Telegraph about John Davies and his failed bid to become the Conservative party candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner.

My website scoops (with follow-ups) on this topic put this story ‘out there,’ so there was no option for it to be swept under the carpet. The newspaper’s coverage made page six of its 18th July edition, though it came from Davies’s point of view rather than the reporter’s. My website is free of any ties, and as such, I’m happy to ‘tell it as it is’ (warts and all) so I thought I could get around this by writing a letter to the editor. My letter provided the story with some shape for its readership – because, as it was, it stood about as firm as a bowl of trifle, and tasted almost as sickly-sweet. It didn’t get published in the following newspaper (25th July,) nor in this week’s edition (1st August) so to save my efforts going to waste, I’ve copied the letter below:

Damage limitation?

Having been told the facts behind last week’s page six article ‘Davies withdraws from race for police commissioner,’ its recollection of events seems somewhat different to that which I covered on my website.

In your article, the former leader of Pembrokeshire County Council Cllr. John Davies explains: “I have made up my mind that I won’t be standing as a political party member,” but that he is still considering standing as an independent. Far from having been merely ‘considering joining the Tories,’ Cllr. Davies ventured a lot further down this route than it would appear he would like your readers to know about.

I’ve done some research and found out that hopeful Conservative candidates had to apply many weeks ago to party H.Q. in London, after which they were vetted and inspected. Those that made the grade would then become an approved candidate, and be shortlisted for a police force. In Dyfed-Powys, Cllr. Davies was shortlisted alongside one other candidate, Christopher Salmon, for the local association members to make the final decision. It should go without saying that, had he managed to fend off Christopher Salmon, then he would now be the official Tory candidate for November’s election.
As I understand it, two selection meetings were arranged for Conservative party members within the Dyfed-Powys boundary to meet and grill the two shortlisted candidates, and thereafter be balloted. The first meeting was held in Narberth on Monday 9th July, and the second in Brecon the following evening.

Both of the candidates presented and participated in the Monday night meeting, at which I am told there was a noticeable lack of support for Cllr. Davies. Apparently there were two key reasons: the negative perception of his leadership of Pembrokeshire County Council; and the way in which he appeared to be seeking the Conservative party’s support and financial backing, whilst showing no care or understanding of the importance that members placed on party membership. To quote Cllr. Davies: “that was a big issue for them.”

As your article correctly stated, Cllr. Davies did pull out of the selection race – that evening in fact, as a result of which: the Brecon meeting went ahead without him, Christopher Salmon became the Tory candidate by default, and the outcome of the ballot from the Narberth selection meeting would never have to be revealed.

I also have it on good authority that, after giving up, Cllr. Davies sought a reassurance that he could rightfully claim to have never been a member of the Conservative party. I’ll leave it up to your readers to decide whether this change of plan was the result of long and serious consideration by Cllr. Davies, or if it was a last-minute exercise of damage limitation.

Jacob Williams.