Nick Ramsay

In 2008 Ramsay spent much of his time on the Special Assembly Procedure Committee, and in particular the "S025," which re-considered the controversial Robeston Wathen by-pass proposed by the Welsh Assembly Government. These types of Orders and challenges are rare occurrences. The last one which was heard in Parliament was in 1999.

In 2011, while a contender for the leadership of the Welsh Conservatives, Ramsay had to apologise after being barred from a pub following a charity pub quiz in aid of Help for Heroes. The landlord is quoted as saying that he resigned his membership of the party over the issue as "Nick Ramsay heckled the quizmaster repeatedly, telling him that his questions were rubbish. He challenged the quizmaster, a local antiques dealer, to bid £100 for a rugby jersey in an auction we held on the same evening for the charity. He was quite rude and objectionable and his comments didn't go down well – I think he'd had a few beers."[10]

In 2012, Ramsay was criticised for missing a committee session; after an evening's drinking in Cardiff at a leaving party for a Labour member of staff at a Cardiff Bay pub before heading into town at closing time for a late city centre bar. He failed to notify the clerk that he was ill until two hours after the meeting was due to start. when an email was received by the clerk from a member of Mr Ramsay’s staff to say he had been taken ill during the night. Ramsay was not in the Assembly chamber for the majority of the afternoon’s session, but arrived at 5.25pm to vote on a Liberal Democrat motion of no confidence in Health Minister Lesley Griffiths.[11]

In 2014, Ramsay was accused of having been drunk during a debate in the Assembly. The Assembly’s Presiding Officer had to launch an investigation after she received a complaint alleging that a Tory AM appeared "drunk" and made "slurred, incoherent and insolent" contributions to a debate on mental health in the Senedd, but he denies being drunk.[12] Ramsay, who also celebrated his birthday that day, had intervened twice during a speech by health minister Prof Mark Drakeford AM, who at one point told him he would pursue the matters raised directly with him outside the confines of the debate.[13] An online clip demonstrated the awkwardness of the debate.[14] Presiding Officer, Dame Rosemary Butler, did not support the claim and no further action was taken.[15]

Ramsay criticised the proposed £10,000 pay rise for assembly members prior to the 2016 election and stated that he would donate his pay rise to charity.[16][17] The Western Mail reported in 2019 that Ramsay had not responded to questions that asked which charity his pay raise had been donated to. The editor of the Monmouthshire Beacon stated that, at a meeting with Ramsay in 2018, Ramsay said he did not wish to make a public announcement at this stage because of the nature of the charity and that the money is tied with an ongoing charitable project which will be announced later in the year. As of March 2019, no announcement had been made.[18]

In 2020, Ramsay was accused of involvement in a further alcohol-related incident when he was seen drinking alcohol on Senedd premises during a period when this was not legal due to coronavirus public health measures[19]

Mr Ramsay has brought legal action against the Conservative Party on two occasions. The first was against Paul Davies, leader of the Conservative Group in the Welsh Parliament when Mr Davies had suspended him from the group after he was arrested following a ‘police incident’ at his home on New Year’s Day 2020 and held in police custody for 24 hours. Eight members of the 11-strong assembly group had supported the suspension.[20] On 13 February, Ramsay confirmed that he had been reinstated to the Welsh Conservative Party Group in the Senedd and had dropped his legal challenge against the decision by group leader Paul Davies to suspend him.[21] Paul Davies was ordered to pay legal costs plus nominal damages fee of £2 to Mr Ramsay, according to a High Court order. Mr Ramsay remained suspended from the Conservative Party. [22]

Further legal action followed Monmouth Conservative Association arranging to meet on 23 November to discuss a petition that called for Nick Ramsay’s selection as a candidate to be discussed again. Mr Ramsay and his lawyers claimed the move was "unconstitutional" and warned party members could face legal costs and damages. The Party argued that the association believes it is acting within party rules as per their constitution. Lawyers representing Mr Ramsay prepared for an injunction hearing without further notice in the High Court and stated that association members are "jointly and severally liable as individuals for any damage caused to our client in addition to paying his legal costs". [23]

The chairman of the association stated that "The Association has never sought any form of confrontation with Nick Ramsay and any legal action brought is entirely of his doing. We have been advised by lawyers and Conservative head office that we have acted entirely within our rules and rights at all times." [24] Mr Ramsay attempted to withdraw his legal challenge at the last minute which meant the High Court hearing went ahead. The judge ordered Mr Ramsay to pay £25,000 in costs to Monmouth Conservative Association. At the virtual hearing at Bristol Civil Justice Centre, Mr Ramsay's injunction application was withdrawn, and a judge said if the application to injuct had been made it would have failed. Judge Paul Matthews said Mr Ramsay has 28 days to make the costs payment to the successful party and no permission was granted for appeal. [25]

Members of Monmouth Conservative Association then took the next step in a process that led to the deselection of their Senedd Member Nick Ramsay. Members went on to say that there are many reasons why members are dissatisfied with him. The point now is that because of his previous legal threats many are not prepared to engage with him. “His decision to go to court was quite extraordinary, and was never going to result in a good outcome. The association has been forced to spend many thousands of pounds defending itself and its constitution, and it is now Mr Ramsay’s obligation to pay the bulk of our legal costs.” [26] In December 2020, Conservative party members in Monmouth told their local Senedd member in a democratic vote they do not want him to be their candidate for the May 2021 election. Nick Ramsay lost a vote of the constituency's party association and this means the party will now throw open the selection process, putting him up against other potential hopefuls. [27]