Councillor banned from veterans association over safety concerns
Emily Price
A Bridgend councillor has been banned from attending his local Veterans Association over fears for the “welfare, safety, or enjoyment” of other members.
In a post to social media on Monday evening (September 21) Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr councillor Owain Clatworthy claimed the ban was due to his Christian faith.
The Restore Britain councillor shared an image of a letter he had received from the Pyle & Kenfig Hill Veterans Association warning him that he would be “asked to leave the premises” if he attempted to attend any of its meetings.
In the letter, which was marked in bold “private and confidential”, Chairman Chris Headon said the decision had been taken because of the personal views Cllr Clatworthy had expressed about the LGBTQIA+ community.
Mr Headon wrote: “I am writing to formally notify you that you are no longer permitted to attend meetings, events, functions, or other activities organised or hosted by the Association, with effect from 7th September 2026.
“This decision has been made following consideration of your personal views when it comes to the LGBTQIA+ community.
“We have a few members who are also in this community.
“The Committee considers that your attendance would be contrary to the interests of the Association and/or would have an adverse effect on the welfare, safety, or enjoyment of other members and attendees.
“Accordingly, you are requested not to attend the Association’s premises or any Association-
organised event unless you have first received written permission from the Committee.
“Should you attempt to attend an event or meeting after receiving this notice, you will be asked to leave the premises.
“The Association reserves the right to take any further appropriate action should this instruction not be complied with.
“The Committee hopes that this matter can be dealt with respectfully and without further incident.”
Cllr Clatworthy, a practising evangelical Christian, said he had been banned from attending the association not for “causing trouble” but because of his “Christian faith”.
In a post to Facebook, he wrote: “I’ve been banned from the Pyle & Kenfig Hill Veterans Association.
“Not for violence. Not for turning up and causing trouble.
“For personal views based on my Christian faith.
“Veterans did not fight so a handful of people on a letterhead could police what you are allowed to believe.
“This is a pattern. The goal is to end freedom of speech.
“Shut you up. Shut you out.”
Cllr Clatworthy faced accusations of homophobia in July over comments he made about a rainbow-coloured table at McArthur Glen Designer Outlet in Bridgend.
The Restore Britain councillor branded the table “mandatory ideology” and a “political view” that was “impossible to escape”.
His remarks prompted a complaint from Bridgend Pride to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, although the watchdog later confirmed it was not launching a probe.
Cllr Clatworthy later became embroiled in a row with a church clergyman who had written to him saying the LGBTQ+ community had been “marginalised and excluded in the Church and in our communities for far too long”.
The Restore Britain councillor hit back at the clergyman saying that “true Christian love does not affirm what God calls sin”.
Since his defection from Reform UK to Rupert Lowe’s party, Cllr Clatworthy has faced an intense backlash over inflammatory comments about women’s abortion rights, asylum seekers and Muslims.
Earlier this month, he was criticised for spreading right-wing misinformation online about the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) amid heightened tensions and threats surrounding the life saving charity following an anti-migrant protest in Portsmouth.
In a further incident last week, Cllr Clatworthy falsely claimed in social media post that a transgender child sex offender had been let loose “back onto the streets of Bridgend” sparking fears from locals about where the individual could be living.
South Wales Police later released a statement confirming the paedophile remains behind bars.
Calls were made for the Restore Britain councillor to apologise, with former Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood going further and saying he should resign.
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No, the ban was because you are hate filled lying bigot. If you have a shred of decency left, you would apologise and resign.
Free speech Clatworthy, two way street.
You’re not disliked because you call yourself a Christian. You’re disliked because you’re a charlatan.
What’s troll Owain Clotworthy been up to now, he says, rolling his eyes? He can try to play the victim all he likes and use Christianity as a crutch, but I wonder whether he realises that he’ll never be a serious force in politics and will forevermore be a figure of ridicule. Ignorance is bliss, and he’s blissfully ignorant. The decision to ban this miscreant was the right one.
Mr. Clat-worthy, is simply, not-worthy of the oxygen of publicity!
I am a Christian, and my core beliefs are woefully at odds with his!
He needs to do some serious soul searching! Just ask, ‘What would Jesus’ do?’ Hate and condemn, or love and forgive? Simples!
Horrible man, terrible “Christian”.
He really is a prime example of the extreme right attitude.
Extreme victim playing, extreme gaslighting and an extreme case of needing to be kept away from communities.
I don’t think people should be allowed to self-ID as Christian.
‘My father’s house has many rooms’ speaks of inclusivity, and each of us can also have many definitions!
Being a ‘Christian’ is just one of mine. Its not about being ‘allowed’, I choose to describe myself as such. In the same way as I also identify as being son, father, husband and friend, to name but a few of my identities.
I identified as being ‘Christian’ here, as I feel that Owain Clatworthy, by wearing his faith for all to see, diminishes everything that Christianity represents through his words and actions.
Rhys. There is no problem with being a ‘Christian’ in the traditional sense. Ditto Jewish/Muslim and all else. The current Israeli state has perverted the Jewish faith for its’ own evil purpose. Ditto Islamic equivalents all not in the name of the majority of Jews nor Muslims around the globe. It is happening to Christianity now and again not in the name of Christans worldwide. UTK stands for ‘Ultra Thick KKKristians’. Those who parade crosses for hate purposes only and have never seen the inside of a church, read a bible nor have any human empathy but who use it… Read more »
My thanks to Leanne Wood previously and here, Chris Headon for stepping up to ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING about the sick minded, unhinged, threat to human life who is Owain Clatworthy who, as mentioned in this article five years later and only this month, has recycled the RNLI ‘taxi’ line first put out by his former master. His current master tried to get a charity boat off Great Yarmouth targeted so thick as pig muck to frozen pig muck in mid winter. THICK and SICK. This dangerous d••khead is now preventing the saving of WHITE, BRITISH, HETEROSEXUAL life being saved from… Read more »
Same old rhetoric from these right whinge extremist, they try to justify their hate filled beliefs with the slogan of ‘free speach’ . This Mr Clatworthy should keep his vile opinions and his so called Christianity deep down in his personal warped mindset and leave the free speach to the more mature adults in the room.
I love the way people like him make a HUGE deal of homosexuality being a sin according to the Bible and this being the only reason they torment and abuse such people….. It is mentioned once in the Bible and (since it was translated into Latin from Greek and to Greek from Aramaic – which was already a dead language by that time) there are many known translation issues. Many scholars now believe that the text is not saying that a man should not lay with another MAN but, in fact, that it is a sin for a man to… Read more »