The Secretary of State for Wales left Sky News' Kay Burley and viewers frustrated after he admitted that he wasn't aware there had been more than 50 fines issued by the police for law breaking in Downing Street. Simon Hart of the Conservative Party appeared on Sky News on Thursday morning, where he was questioned about the UK Government's new plans for asylum seekers and the Downing Street parties that took place during Covid lockdown.
This comes after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak have both paid fines for breaking Covid lockdown regulations by attending a gathering in Downing Street in 2020. An investigation by the Metropolitan Police into illegal parties has led to at least 50 fines being issued.
Read more: What WalesOnline readers had to say about Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak breaking the law
When asked by journalist Kay Burley what he thought about the Prime Minister overseeing 50 breaches of the law being broken, Mr Hart answered: "I don't know where you got 50 from... you know more about this than me".
The journalist explained that the number of breaches were included in a statement by the Metropolitan Police, to which the Secretary of State replied that it was "speculation". He added: "As I say, you know more about this than me - I am not going to speculate. Seriously, we can't speculate".
Some viewers took to social media to express their views, with some describing it as a "car crash" while others were "stunned" by what they saw.
The politician was on the news programme to discuss the UK Government plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing as part of their attempts to reduce the number of people crossing the Channel by small boats illegally. During the interview, the Secretary of State said that the plan has the potential to be a "really humane step forward".
But charities have warned that this is a "cruel and nasty decision" that will not only fail to address the issue but "lead to more human suffering and chaos", which will amount to an estimated £1.4bn in costs. The UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is expected to give details about the government's actions in a speech on Thursday.
While discussing the new plans, Simon Hart said it had the potential to be a "really humane step forward". He added: "We are trying to safeguard people's interests.
"This is meant to be about being able to distinguish between economical migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. And trying to make sure that people end up in a safe place with a reasonable future. That is something I would imagine we could join in some form of agreement."
When asked by Sky News' Kay Burley whether children would be sent to Rwanda, the Welsh Secretary said: "The principle is no. This is about male economic migrants in the main. There is a different set of issues with women and children and refugees and asylum seekers."
First Minister for Wales, Mark Drakeford, has responded to the new plans. On Twitter, he said: "The UK Government’s plans to send asylum seekers and refugees to Rwanda is cruel and inhumane. This is not the way to treat people seeking safety and sanctuary. This is nothing more than a cynical distraction from the Prime Minister’s law breaking."
