(Update: 16/02/2022 – Well, we now know. Wallis has been fined £270 and given three licence points for failing to comply with road markings/road signs.)
What’s he done this time?
It was recently reported in the Daily Mail – so it comes with a source warning, but they’re usually good at this kind of story – that Dr Jamie Wallis MP (Con, Bridgend), was arrested for driving whilst unfit last month following an accident at Llanblethian near Cowbridge.
The accident happened at around 1:10 am on November 28th 2021. He reportedly crashed his Mercedes into a telephone pole/lamp post with such force it snapped at the base and caused a local internet outage. He was unhurt but it could’ve been a lot worse.
While his spokesperson spun it slightly by saying he was released without charge, South Wales Police said he was released under investigation. That’s a type of open-ended bail which means he could face a charge in the future but doesn’t face the same strict requirements of normal police bail.
As far as I can tell, “driving whilst unfit” means suspected drink or drug-driving (including prescription drugs) but without a sample. The police would have had to have done a roadside fitness test (pupil measurements, balance tests etc) or judged the driver to be impaired by other means. As a result, it’s usually an easier charge to challenge in court.
The punishment is near enough the same as for drink driving – usually a big fine and a long driving ban. For simply being in an accident Wallis could face different charges if the police decide there’s enough evidence – but for the time being he’s innocent until proven guilty.
That’s the law, now the politics.
Wallis is one of the Boris Johnson loyalists, so there’s that angle to think about too. You can often tell the character of a person by the company they keep and I don’t think it reflects particularly well on either of them.
It doesn’t reflect well on Bridgend either, to be completely honest. Our elected representatives should reflect our own values. So what does choosing someone like that to represent us in London say about us?
Politicians have been involved in accidents or charged with serious driving offences in the past and it hasn’t always resulted in resignations even if it would – in most cases – be the honourable thing to do. It’s right we hold elected representatives to a higher standard of behaviour. He can stand again and let the electorate decide whether to back him or sack him.
The more likely outcome is – seeing as he hasn’t been charged and for the time being it’s just an accident – him staying there until 2024 when his chances of re-election don’t look good anyway. The local Conservative party would be smart to deselect him as soon as possible, but they don’t come across as the sort to make smart decisions or be particularly proactive about anything.
It would probably take a charge and conviction to get a standards investigation and suspension from the UK Parliament. That could take a long time.
If a suspension is long enough, it could trigger a recall petition – meaning 10% of the electorate in Bridgend would need to sign a petition to hold a by-election.
Maybe I’ll be surprised, but I can see the electorate of Bridgend continuing to be embarrassed for the foreseeable future. We’re very sorry, Wales. We were drunk.
