ALLEGATIONS have been made that Prime Minister, Boris Johnson MP, has broken purdah rules ahead of Thursday’s (August 1) Brecon and Radnorshire by-election.

On Tuesday, July 30, he was visiting the constituency as part of whistle-stop tour of South and Mid Wales.

On Monday, July 29, while visiting Scotland, Mr Johnson pledged a £300 million pot of funding for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

This funding could be used as part of the Mid Wales Growth Deal which involves the UK and Welsh governments, councils and private firms attempting to boost the region’s economy.

Although the growth deal is still in the setting up stages, one of the areas that could benefit is Brecon and Radnorshire.

Powys and Ceredigion County Councils have signed an inter-authority agreement to work together on the £200 million deal that is a supposed to create up to 4,000 jobs.

Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales East, Delyth Jewell has written to the Cabinet Office, asking for an “immediate investigation.”

Ms Jewell said: “I request that you hold an immediate investigation into whether rules surrounding purdah have been broken.

“It would appear to me that the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Wales (Alun Cairns, MP) have broken Cabinet Office rules by using public resources for party political campaigning during an election period.

“Prior to his visit to Wales on Tuesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a fund of £300 million for growth deals in the devolved nations.

“This fund, which Mr Johnson insists is new money, includes resources for the Mid Wales Growth Deal – an area that includes Brecon and Radnorshire, where a by-election is due to take place on Thursday August 1.”

Guidance issued by the Cabinet Office to civil servants ahead of the 2017 General Election stated that: “It is also a requirement of the Ministerial Code that Ministers must not use government resources for party political purposes and must uphold the political impartiality of the Civil Service.

The election was triggered after Tory MP Chris Davies was unseated in June by a petition that followed his conviction for submitting false expenses claims in March.

Plaid Cymru and the Green Party have not put candidates forward in the by-election so that their votes could go to the Liberal Democrats.

The list of candidates are:

  • Conservative: Chris Davies
  • Labour: Tom Davies
  • Liberal Democrat: Jane Dodds
  • Brexit Party: Des Parkinson
  • UKIP: Liz Phillips
  • The Official Monster Raving Loony Party: Lady Lily The Pink

Polls close at 10pm on Thursday, August 1.

The Cabinet office has been asked for a comment.