Goings on in the Welsh assembly’s main building, the Senedd, have long been criticised as boring and sterile.
But a golden chance to introduce a little showbiz glamour to the heart of Welsh democracy has been missed after the assembly turned down a request by the makers of the new James Bond movie, Spectre, to film there.
Sounding perhaps a little po-faced, the assembly argued that its main debating chamber, the Siambr, is not a “drama studio.” It said it had co-operated with the makers of programmes including Doctor Who and Sherlock, but was not inclined to host 007.
The decision was criticised by the Tories in Wales as a missed opportunity. The Welsh Conservative leader, Andrew RT Davies, said: “I’m not convinced that refusing permission for the Senedd to feature in one of the biggest movies of the year – on movie screens in every corner of the world – was the right decision.
“From a Welsh tourism perspective, that’s the sort of publicity money simply can’t buy.”
His colleague Darren Millar compared a pair of political opponents to the Chuckle Brothers and claimed that if they could appear in the Senedd on a weekly basis, Bond should be invited in too.
We have the Chuckle Brothers in the Senedd on a weekly basis - @carlsargeant1 and @LeightonAndrews - why can't we have James Bond? #007
— Darren Millar (@DarrenMillarAM) March 13, 2015
More seriously, the first minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, distanced himself from the decision and insisted: “As a government we are doing everything we can to attract film makers to Wales.”
RT @WelshGovernment: We did not make the decision to refuse James Bond filming in the Senedd chamber. That was @AssemblyWales Commission.
— Carwyn Jones (@fmwales) March 13, 2015
The Senedd, which cost £70m, was officially opened in 2006 on the Cardiff Bay waterfront. Sixty assembly members sit in its Siambr. Its “mushroom cloud” style wooden ceiling and circular viewing gallery have often been lauded for their unique architecture and design.
In a statement, the assembly said: “The Senedd’s Siambr is the home of Welsh democracy and seat of government for Wales.
“Some media activity is allowed in the Siambr when it relates to the work of the assembly or reflects the Siambr’s status as the focal point of Welsh civic life. It is not a drama studio.
“Decisions on requests from the creative industries to use the assembly’s estate are made on a case-by-case basis, and we are proud to have collaborated with many television and film companies on drama productions such as Sherlock and Doctor Who.
“The request by James Bond to use the Siambr was turned down and they were offered alternative locations on the estate which they subsequently declined.”
