Neil McEvoy

Early life and career

Born in Cardiff, his father's family have both English and Irish heritage, whilst his mother's grandfather came to Cardiff from the Yemen. McEvoy trained as a teacher of modern languages, but in the period before his election to the Senedd had moved into business consultancy.

Political career

McEvoy was elected as Labour Councillor for Riverside in 1999 and later became vice-chair of the Labour council group, he defected to Plaid Cymru in 2003. He lost his seat in Riverside in 2004 but was elected in 2008 in the Fairwater ward. He then became one of two Deputy leaders of Cardiff Council between 2008-2012 under a Liberal Democrat-Plaid Cymru coalition. In 2012 he lost his role as Deputy Leader of the Council but was returned as a Plaid Cymru Councillor.

In September 2012, despite Plaid's decision not to put forward any candidates for Police and Crime Commissioner elections, McEvoy said that he wanted to stand for the PCC for South Wales Police. McEvoy did not stand, Plaid did not put forward a candidate, and subsequently former MP Alun Michael won the position for Welsh Labour.

McEvoy also stood as a constituency candidate for Cardiff West in the 2016 Assembly election, increasing Plaid Cymru's vote by 11.9% and reducing Mark Drakeford (Labour)'s majority to 1,176 votes, from 5,901 in 2011 and beating the Conservatives to second place.

Controversies

In November 2011, in a Facebook post, McEvoy accused Welsh Women's Aid (WWA) of "publicly funded child abuse" and claimed they supported women in breaking court orders on fathers' access to children. He was subsequently suspended by Plaid Cymru, and after investigation was only allowed to return after making a public apology.

In Council elections in May 2011, Welsh Labour ward opponent Michael Michael distributed leaflets of Only Fools and Horses character Del Boy with McEvoy's face imposed on them. McEvoy subsequently sued Michael for libel, but withdrew from the case in December 2015. In January 2016, McEvoy agreed to the courts wishes to pay Michael £120,000 in legal costs: a quarter of the cost of the preliminary issues; and all costs after April 2013. McEvoy paid an initial sum of £50,000, and agreed a payment plan with Michael and his lawyers, which resulted in Michael having a legal charge imposed on McEvoy's home.

After being elected to the Senedd in May 2016, McEvoy went back on his election promise to resign from his Cardiff Council position, and subsequently defended his holding of both positions. As a result his total income from tax payers rose to over £77,300, made up of a Senedd salary of £64,000 and a Cardiff Council basic allowance of £13,300.

On the 3 March 2017 a Cardiff Council tribunal found a comment that McEvoy made to a council officer after a tenant's eviction hearing in 2015 "amounted to bullying behaviour". The Adjudication Panel for Wales ruled he broke Cardiff council's code of conduct but did not bring the council into disrepute. After the hearing, Mr McEvoy described the panel proceedings as a "farce" but Plaid chairman Alun Ffred Jones said the matter was "serious because it involves bullying". McEvoy was subsequently suspended from the Plaid Cymru Senedd group on 7 March 2017.