Christina Rees MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, commenting on BBC evidence that Alun Cairns knew about Ross England’s involvement in rape trial collapse, said:

“There are no two ways about this – Alun Cairns has been caught brazenly lying about how much he knew of Ross England’s appalling behaviour at a rape trial.

We have previously been asked to believe that Alun Cairns – who describes Mr England as a “friend and colleague” – had no knowledge of the behaviour that led to the collapse of a rape trial – and unimaginable trauma for the victim.

We now know this was a fiction.

The Secretary of State, Special Advisers, and senior Welsh Tory officials knew what had happened. They chose to select Ross England anyway – and to mislead and obfuscate when found out.

The decision is an error of judgement – the cover-up is unforgivable. Alun Cairns should go; as Secretary of State and as a candidate.”