Call made for MSs to publicly denounce far-right group Voice of Wales

Emily Price

A Plaid Cymru Senedd Member has said he would stand shoulder to shoulder with a Reform MS if they faced the “toxic consequences” of severing ties with a notorious far-right group.

Gŵyr Abertawe MS Gwyn Williams offered to support Reform’s Francesca O’Brien if she were to publicly denounce south-west Wales based anti-Islam group, Voice of Wales.

It came after the far-right group defended Ms O’Brien – a former Mumbles councillor – in the wake of an alleged racist abuse incident in Swansea which is currently under investigated by South Wales Police.

Voice of Wales published a social media video that appeared to blame the victim of the alleged incident.

Dr Haroon Ali claimed that two teenagers at a Mumbles skatepark had shouted a racial slur at his two sons, aged five and two, earlier this month.

He said he believed a rise in “overt racism” in the area was being fuelled by the rhetoric of some “local politicians”.

In the post published to the West Cross and Newton Community Facebook group, Dr Ali wrote: “To the parents of these boys: I hope you are proud of yourselves for raising individuals who feel comfortable spewing this kind of vicious hatred in our community.

“​I also have no doubt in my mind that certain local politicians – well known to this group – have contributed to the rise of this overt racism.

“It is time for them to stand firm in their opposition to it – if indeed they are opposed to it at all. This cannot and must not become the norm in our town.”

Responding to Dr Ali’s comments, Ms O’Brien said she was “genuinely horrified” by the alleged racist abuse suffered by the NHS doctor, but said his subsequent comments amounted to “party-political point scoring”.

“Racism is not a left-wing issue or a right-wing issue — it is a societal issue, and every decent person should be united in condemning it and eradicating it wherever it appears,” Ms O’Brien said.

‘Constructive’

The Reform MS invited Dr Ali to “work collaboratively” with her to lead a  “constructive community response” to the incident.

“This cannot simply become another angry online debate that achieves nothing,” she said.

After issuing the statement, Voice of Wales – led by convicted fraudster Dan Morgan and failed UKIP candidate Stan Robinson – challenged Dr Ali’s claims and defended Ms O’Brien.

The group’s YouTube channel was removed in 2021 after being accused of using “foul” and “unacceptable” language.

Hosts Morgan and Robinson used the channel to platform controversial figures and broadcast live from protests against housing asylum seekers.

In 2023, Morgan was convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud for his role in a massive, nationwide PPI call centre scam that largely targeted elderly and vulnerable people.

Supporters

The skatepark incident also drew the attention of notorious Pakistani-origin Tommy Robinson supporter Shoaib Sohail who called for Dr Ali to produce evidence and accused him of using his position as a doctor to present himself “morally superior to others”

Both Sohail and Voice and Wales were strong supporters of Ms O’Brien during her Senedd election campaign.

The former Tory staffer defected to Nigel Farage’s party last year and was recently appointed Reform’s shadow minister for local government, housing and planning.

She posed for photos with Sohail during her Senedd election campaign and  publicly thanked Voice of Wales for promoting her in the run up to the May 7 vote.

Misinformation

In October, she teamed up with the far-right group to host a public meeting that centred on unsubstantiated claims that pupils at a Swansea school were forced by a representative of Sketty Mosque to pray on Muslim mats and recite passages from the Quran.

Swansea City Counsel branded the claims misinformation.

Plaid’s Gwyn Williams says Voice of Wales should be shut out of mainstream politics altogether.

“Swansea is a good city full of good people and the extremists do not represent us,” he said.

Mr Williams has tabled a written question to the Welsh Government, calling on Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Sioned Williams to examine the impact of the “hatred and division” he claims is being fuelled by Voice of Wales in south-west Wales.

Voice of Wales hit back at Mr Williams, posting a video on Facebook on Monday (June 1) that criticised the Plaid MS for attending a Pride event and referred to his party as “Plaid Palestine”.

Mr Williams pledged to stand with O’Brien against the “toxic consequences” that could come from publicly distancing herself from Voice of Wales.

Nation.Cymru asked Ms O’Brien if she would cut ties with the far-right group but she did not respond.