Carwyn Jones’ job as Welsh leader could be on the line today over his handling of sexual misconduct allegations faced by a top Labour politician who killed himself.
North Wales AM Carl Sargeant, 48, was found dead in Connah’s Quay four days after being sacked by the First Minister and suspended by the party.
Today his friends and colleagues said he had been ‘thrown to the wolves’ and claimed Mr Jones and Labour had refused to tell him what he was accused of.
A party insider told MailOnline: ‘Carl would have spent his last days wracking his brain in torment. He would have been wondering if he had touched a woman inadvertently or hugged them.
‘If Carl was sacked on the basis of something that was untrue then Carwyn Jones’s future is on the line. This is so serious it could become a resignation issue’.
The allegations against ‘gentle giant’ Mr Sargeant were not serious enough for police to have been called in, it has emerged.
Carwyn Jones has not disclosed the nature of the allegations and on the morning of his death Mr Sargeant is said to have ‘begged’ party officials to tell him.
Shadow cabinet member Dawn Butler has called for an investigation into how Welsh Labour handled the case and the Brent MP said: ‘It doesn’t sound as though everything that should have happened, happened’.
First Minister Carwyn Jones, pictured opening a Deeside business with Carl Sargeant AM (right) is under growing pressure over his handling of sexual allegations faced by Mr Sargeant before he killed himself
Former Welsh Government minister Carl Sargeant, 48, (pictured with his wife Bernie, 48, and children Jack, 23, and Lucy, 25) is believed to have taken his own life at home in Connah’s Quay, North Wales
A private ambulance believed to be carrying the body of former Welsh government minister Carl Sargeant leaves his home in North Wales yesterday
Outside his Bridgend home today Mr Jones refused to comment and said: I’m saddened by events. It’s important that we reflect on it and that we remember the family today. That’s all I can say. It’s important to show that respect’.
First Minister Jones (pictured today) refused to comment further on Mr Sargeant’s case amid claims he left the AM ‘isolated’ and ‘tormented’
He then drove to Cardiff to attend a field of remembrance service at the city’s castle.
Mr Sargeant was sacked on Friday after three women contacted the First Minister’s office and made allegations of sexual misconduct.
Today his Labour colleagues in Cardiff said Mr Sargaent had been ‘humiliated’ and ‘isolated’ and said Mr Jones faces serious questions about why he sacked him without any investigation.
One told the BBC: ‘It’s hard to understand why Carl was thrown to the wolves’ , adding the fellow AM was ‘isolated without any decision being made that he’s guilty’.
Cardiff AM Jenny Rathbone said ‘If allegations are made against you, you must know what they are so that you can respond to them. I’m not aware of any form of pastoral care offered but fortunately there was lots of informal care from people who loved him.’
Another said there was ‘deep unease’ about his sacking and suspension and said: ‘There are questions for the first minister over this. There are questions over the issue of duty of care’ in the days before his death.
His wife Bernie, 48, and children Jack, 23, and Lucy, 25, said they are ‘devastated beyond words’ because the family have lost ‘the glue that bound us together’.
Yesterday the Welsh Assembly cancelled its business in a mark of respect to the dedicated politician and father-of-two, who was praised by colleagues for his work on gender equality and domestic abuse.
Labour has not detailed the sex claims but the under fire politician had himself described them as ‘shocking and distressing’.
Party sources said that hours before his death Mr Sargeant had told friends he was still unaware what the allegations were because Labour officials refused to tell him.
His solicitors allegedly wrote to Welsh Labour chiefs to warn them he was suffering from anxiety as a result of not knowing the details of the allegations.
A source told the Sun: ‘Labour were warned it was affecting his mental health’.
The allegations ranged from groping to unwanted attention and ‘inappropriate touching’, it has been claimed.
Carl Sargeant killed himself yesterday (left) and Welsh Labour leader Carwyn Jones has been accused of ‘throwing him to the wolves’ over sex allegations and faces serious questions about his handling of the case
Mr Sargeant’s last tweet was his personal statement in response to the allegations where he vowed to clear his name
Mr Sargeant had an apartment in this plush block in the Cardiff Bay area of the Welsh capital
He is said to have been crestfallen that he was not told exactly what he had been accused of
Police and paramedics were called to his North Wales former council house this morning and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
His body was removed by private ambulance this afternoon. Police say they are not treating it as suspicious.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said his death was ‘terrible and deeply shocking news’, adding: ‘All allegations [of sexual misconduct] must be examined but there also has to be great care for everybody involved in these accusations’.
Mr Sargeant was a ‘much loved husband, father and friend’, a statement released by his family said after his death was announced this afternoon.
‘Carl was a much loved husband, father and friend. He wasn’t simply a part of our family. He was the glue that bound us together. He was the heart of our family. We loved him so very much,’ it said.
‘He was the most kind and caring husband, father, son and friend.
‘We are devastated beyond words, and we know our grief will be shared by all those who knew and loved him. We are in shock and grief’.
Family members hugged each other on the drive of the mid-terrace former council house where Mr Sargeant lived, round the corner from the school where his wife works as a teaching assistant, as a black private ambulance left the property, guarded by police.
A neighbour across the road from his home, who did not want to be named, said: ‘He’s got a wife and children over there, my heart goes out to them, it’s shocking.
‘I’ve known him since being a child. He would be going about canvassing with the local MPs and that type of stuff.
‘He’s a man who still lives in an ex-council house, he’s down to earth and a family man. What happened to innocent until proven guilty?’
The Labour leader tweeted to express his sadness at the loss of Mr Sargeant
Carl Sargeant was a Welsh Assembly Member for Alyn and Deeside and Cabinet Secretary for communities and children
Another local said: ‘He’s a lovely, loyal, honest man, who would do anything to help anyone.
‘He would try his hardest to sort anything out for you, no matter who you were or where you came from. He knew his roots. These allegations, it’s all a load of c***.’
North Wales Police said its officers were investigating Mr Sargeant’s death but said it was not suspicious.
His death represents a dark turn for the harassment scandal that had rocked British politics and has led to calls for anonymity to those accused of sexual allegations or sex crimes.
Eight Tory MPs and three Labour MPs have been embroiled in allegations of inappropriate behaviour. Theresa May brought party leaders together for a meeting last night in a bid to bolster protection for politicians’ staff.
Mr Sargeant’s wife Bernie (pictured together) and his children have been left ‘devastated’
Theresa May (pictured in Downing Street last night) brought party leaders together for a meeting in a bid to bolster protection for politicians’ staff
Mr Sargeant was on holiday with his wife Bernie in New York last week when the allegations broke about his conduct towards women, it emerged last night.
Father-of-two Mr Sargeant returned from his family US break to be called into the office of the Labour First Minister Carwyn Jones, who sacked him.
On Friday Mr Sargeant insisted he had resigned after being told that ‘shocking and distressing’ allegations had been made against him. But Labour party sources insisted he was fired.
Welsh Labour leader Mr Jones said at the time he had to remove him from his cabinet post after learning of ‘certain incidents’ involving several women.
How former factory worker rose to the top of Welsh Labour
Mr Sargeant was confronted with ‘allegations’ about his ‘personal conduct’ by Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones and the pair agreed he should leave his post
Carl Sargeant had risen to the top tier of Welsh politics before allegations about his personal conduct led to him being sacked just days before he was found dead.
A former process worker at a North Wales chemical plant, Mr Sargeant, 49, was elected to Cardiff Bay in 2003 as Labour AM for the Alyn and Deeside seat.
Until his removal as cabinet secretary for communities and children, he had served in a series of ministerial roles in the Welsh government.
In 2007 he was appointed chief whip of the Labour group before becoming minister for local government.
Roles as minister for housing and regeneration and minister for natural resources followed before being named cabinet secretary for communities and children in May 2016.
The devastation of his local community following the collapse of steelmaking at the Shotton plant in the 1980s, which saw thousands lose their jobs, had inspired a commitment to social justice.
Mr Sargeant witnessed the impact of heavy drinking and domestic violence on families in the area, leading him to campaign extensively on the issue.
A keen football fan, Mr Sargeant was president of FC Nomads of Connah’s Quay, the town where he lived all his life and where he was found dead.
He was married to Bernie and they had two children, Lucy and Jack.
He said: ‘My office spoke to the women involved, as a result of those discussions I felt there was no choice other than to refer the matter to my own party for further investigation.’
Mr Sargeant had the party whip removed and was suspended by Welsh Labour.
The former chief whip and environment minister had vowed to clear his name before his death.
In a statement released on Friday, Mr Sargeant said: ‘I met with the First Minister and he informed me allegations had been made about my personal conduct, which was shocking and distressing to me.
‘The details of the allegations have yet to be disclosed to me. I have written to the General Secretary of Welsh Labour requesting an urgent independent investigation into these allegations in order to allow me to clear my name.
‘Given the nature of the allegations, I agreed with the First Minister that it was right that I stand aside from cabinet.
‘I look forward to returning to Government once my name has been cleared. I won’t be commenting further at this stage.’
Tory MP Nigel Evans has been pushing for defendants in sex offence cases should get anonymity on the same level as people.
The former Deputy Speaker was cleared of charges of sexual assault after a court battle in 2014.
Mr Evans stressed he did not know Mr Sargeant, and was not aware of the specific allegations he faced.
But the senior MP told MailOnline he believed Mr Sargeant might not have killed himself if he had not been named.
‘I still believe – I have held this view all along – that had the allegations been made and had he had some anonymity, he would probably still be alive today,’ Mr Evans said.
‘There is immense pressure. The whole thing is played out in the public eye.’
Mr Evans said he understood the argument that publicity could mean more victims come forward, but insisted that when serious accusations were made the issue would go to court anyway.
He suggested that people facing sexual allegations should be granted anonymity until the point of charge.
Former Welsh Government minister Carl Sargeant, 48, (pictured with Ed Miliband) is believed to have taken his own life at home in Connah’s Quay, North Wales
Mr Sargeant (pictured with Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson) had vowed to clear his name
Referring to Mr Sargeant, Mr Evans said: ‘Who knows exactly what has been through his mind, but there is immense stress when allegations are made. Some people are unable to cope. Clearly in this case that looks to be the case.’
Police officers remained outside the Labour politician’s home in north Wales today
Neighbours and locals spoke of their shock at the news.
Lifelong childhood friend and fellow Labour Party representative Bernie Attridge wiped away tears as he spoke.
Mr Attridge, 46, the deputy leader of Flintshire County Council, speaking at the local Labour Club, said: ‘I’m absolutely distraught. He was a personal friend of mine. I’ve known Carl all my life. We’ve grown up together in Connah’s Quay.
‘Carl was very instrumental in saving this club that we are standing in now from closing.
‘I find myself in very dark days. It’s such a sad loss of such a great friend of mine. My heartfelt thoughts are with Bernadette his wife, Jack his son and Lucy his daughter.
‘At the end of the day allegations were made, I’m a great believer you are innocent until proven guilty.
‘I don’t know the details of the suspension, I know he’s a very loyal man.’
Mr Attridge said Mr Sargeant worked as an industrial firefighter at a local factory and became a member of Connah’s Quay town council as his political career began.
He added: ‘He was an excellent constituent Assembly Member, nothing was too much trouble for him. Even when we were out in here enjoying ourselves, having private time on a Saturday night, on many occasions if anyone had any issues Carl was first on the scene, first to take details, it wasn’t, ‘ring me’ he was very approachable.
‘He fought hard for Alyn and Deeside.’
Proceedings at the Welsh Assembly were cancelled.
First Minister Carwyn Jones said: ‘Carl was a friend as well as a colleague and I am shocked and deeply saddened by his death. He made a big contribution to Welsh public life and fought tirelessly for those he represented both as a minister and local assembly member. He will be a great loss to our party and to the Senedd.’
The leader of the Conservatives in the Assembly, Andrew Davies said : ‘Our Parliament has lost a stalwart and many of us have lost a friend.’
Neil Hamilton, the former Tory MP who is UKIP leader in the Assembly, called him ‘a gentle giant who would be missed across the party divide.’
Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood said : ‘Carl Sargeant made a significant contribution to Welsh politics both as an Assembly member and government minister. On behalf of Plaid Cymru I send our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time.’
Flags fly at half mast above the Senedd, the National Assembly for Wales building in Cardiff Bay
In a joint statement economy secretary Ken Skates and environment secretary Lesley Griffiths described him as ‘a gentle but brilliant person.’
They added : ‘He will never be forgotten by us as a kind, genuine and compassionate man, always determined to fight against injustice, particularly for people who did not have a voice.
‘Our thoughts are with Bernie. Lucy, Jack and all his family, who are now without a wonderful, warm, loyal family man.’
At risk, the eight Tories caught up in the ‘Pestminster Scandal
Gynaecologist ‘put hands up skirts’
Date accused: November 5.
Allegation: Former Tory health minister Dan Poulter, who used to work as a gynaecologist, was accused by fellow Tory Andrew Bridgen of putting his hand up the skirts of three female MPs.
Rebuttal: Said to deny the allegations but he has not commented publicly. Now under investigation by the new Tory party disciplinary panel.
Former Tory health minister Dan Poulter, who used to work as a gynaecologist, was accused by fellow Tory Andrew Bridgen of putting his hand up the skirts of three female MPs
Whip’s unwanted sexual advances
Date accused: November 5.
Allegation: Tory Government whip Chris Pincher made unwanted advances towards former Olympic rower Alex Story. Also accused of ‘touching up’ former Labour MP Tom Blenkinsop. Not facing party disciplinary action.
Rebuttal: Has quit his role and voluntarily referred himself to police.
Chris Pincher has quit his role as a whip and voluntarily referred himself to police made unwanted advances towards former Olympic rower Alex Story
‘Pressured researcher to go on date’
Date accused: November 4.
Allegation: Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski pressured young party researcher to go on a ‘date’ with a wealthy businessman ‘older than her father’ in 2013. Under investigation by new Conservative disciplinary panel.
Rebuttal: Strongly denies accusation, saying he only asked the researcher to have a coffee with a friend.
Daniel Kawczynski denies allegations he pressured a young party researcher to go on a ‘date’ with a wealthy businessman ‘older than her father’ in 2013
‘Serious sexual assault’
Date accused: November 3.
Allegation: Former Tory whip Charlie Elphicke accused of serious sexual assault. Suspended by party pending police inquiry.
Rebuttal: The Dover and Deal MP denies any wrongdoing.
Former Tory whip Charlie Elphicke has been suspended by the party pending police inquiry after being accused of serious sexual assault
Claims date back 15 years
Date accused: November 2.
Allegation: Sir Michael Fallon touched Julia Hartley-Brewer’s knee, ‘lunged’ at journalist Jane Merrick and gave ‘unwanted attention’ to Andrea Leadsom in incidents dating back 15 years.
Rebuttal: Quit as defence secretary.
Sir Michael Fallon touched Julia Hartley-Brewer’s knee, ‘lunged’ at journalist Jane Merrick and gave ‘unwanted attention’ to Andrea Leadsom in incidents dating back 15 years
Extreme porn on computer
Date accused: November 1.
Allegation: Deputy PM Damian Green made advances towards activist Kate Maltby. Police found ‘extreme’ pornography on computer in his office in 2008.
Rebuttal: Denies allegations. Under investigation.
Deputy PM Damian Green made advances towards activist Kate Maltby. Police found ‘extreme’ pornography on computer in his office in 2008
Admitted texts to woman, 19
Date accused: October 29.
Allegation: Tory ex-Cabinet minister Stephen Crabb sent ‘pretty outrageous’ texts to a 19-year-old who applied for job. Under investigation by Conservative disciplinary panel.
Rebuttal: The MP admits incidents.
Tory ex-Cabinet minister Stephen Crabb sent ‘pretty outrageous’ texts to a 19-year-old who applied for job
Send aide to buy sex toys
Date accused: October 29.
Allegation: Trade Minister Mark Garnier referred to female aide as ‘sugar t**s’ and asked her to buy sex toys. Under probe.
Rebuttal: MP says allegations ‘do not constitute harassment’.
Trade Minister Mark Garnier referred to a female aide as ‘sugar t**s’ and asked her to buy sex toys
And the Labour men also in the dock
‘Groped woman at party’
Date accused: November 3.
Allegation: Former frontbencher Clive Lewis groped a woman at a party at Labour conference in September. Under probe.
Rebuttal: Firm denial, saying it’s ‘not how I roll’.
Former frontbencher Clive Lewis denies groping a woman at a party at Labour conference in September
Texts to woman of 24
Date accused: November 2.
Allegation: Former frontbencher Kelvin Hopkins sent ‘inappropriate’ texts to 24-year-old, rubbed crotch on her. Suspended.
Rebuttal: Denies allegations.
Former frontbencher Kelvin Hopkins denies sending ‘inappropriate’ texts to 24-year-old and rubbing his crotch on her
‘Stroked leg of 19-year-old’
Date accused: November 3.
Allegation: Former minister Ivan Lewis stroked the leg of 19-year-old. No investigation.
Rebuttal: Denies the claim but has apologised for any ‘unwelcome’ behaviour in past.
Former minister Ivan Lewis stroked the leg of 19-year-old. He denies that allegation but has apologised for any ‘unwelcome’ behaviour in past
Offensive posts on the web
Date accused: October 25.
Allegation: Jared O’Mara called woman ‘ugly b****’. Offensive comments online. Suspended.
Rebuttal: MP denies first comment. Apologised for online posts.
Jared O’Mara was suspended by the Labour Party and has apologised after making a string of offensive comments online