Disgraced Senedd candidate plots protest against Sikh pupil’s right to wear ceremonial blade

Martin Shipton

A disgraced former councillor now standing for the Senedd has tried to recruit two notorious racist activists to a school protest against a Sikh pupil’s legal right to wear a small ceremonial blade as part of his religious duties.

Before the Easter holiday, parents of pupils who attend Ysgol Harri Tudur / Henry Tudor School in Pembroke received an email from the school’s headteacher that said: “We have recently welcomed a Sikh family to our school community.

“As part of their faith, practising Amrhitrdhari Sikhs, over the age of 14, are required to wear certain symbolic items, one of which is the Kirpan. In this case, the learner is wearing a small, sheathed ceremonial Kirpan (that is secured and cannot be unsheathed). It is worn purely as a religious symbol and not as a functional item.

“We have taken appropriate steps to ensure that this is managed safely and in accordance with our safeguarding responsibilities, the laws of the United Kingdom, and our commitment to respecting the religious beliefs of all learners.

“We will continue to monitor this sensitively and appropriately.”

Former UKIP councillor Paul Dowson is trying to organise a protest at the school, and has invited Dan Morgan and Stan Robinson from the so-called Voice of Wales group to offer their support.

Illegal pornography

Dowson, who was formerly a Pembrokeshire county councillor, was barred from office for three years after falsely accusing a colleague of distributing illegal pornography, and alleging that a member of the public was a sex offender.

He had also written Facebook posts about the Black Lives Matter movement that were “likely to be considered racist” by the council’s standards committee.

Now standing as an Independent Senedd candidate in Ceredigion Penfro, he was convicted In September 2023 of working illegally as a pub doorman and was ordered to pay £3,201.50 for carrying out door duties at a pub in Tenby without a licence.

Dowson has tagged the Voice of Wales pair Morgan and Robinson in a Facebook post where he moots the idea of staging a protest at the school.

Morgan is a convicted fraudster and Robinson another far-right activist who once wrote that political journalist Adam Boulton should be castrated with a rusty blade. He stood for UKIP in Llanelli at the general election in 2024, coming last out of seven candidates with just 1.5% of the votes.

In a Facebook post, Dowson spread disinformation about the Kirpan, stating: “My opinion is that this is the UK. We are a Christian country and we have UK laws.

“A five inch bladed knife should never be permitted to be carried, sheathed or otherwise by a 15 year old in school.

“Allowing this for religious reasons is outrageous. Everyone is welcome to their religious beliefs but this should never extend to taking a deadly weapon into our UK schools. No no no.

“It’s a knife. It can be used to end someone, it could be taken by someone to use against a person the wearer can’t do anything about that.”

A Sikh-owned company called Akaal Associates carries an explanatory section about Kirpans on its website:

What Is the Kirpan and Why Is It Worn?

The Kirpan is one of the Five Ks (Panj Kakaar), given by Guru Gobind Singh Ji to the Khalsa in 1699. It represents:

* Courage and duty to protect the innocent

* Readiness to stand against injustice

* A commitment to moral discipline

Though it resembles a blade, its purpose is spiritual, not violent. Sikhs wear it as a constant reminder of their commitment to righteousness.

“Under UK law, carrying knives or blades in public is generally prohibited. However, there is a clear legal exemption for Kirpans when worn for religious reasons.

Legal points to know:

* The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Section 139) and the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 both contain religious exemptions for Sikhs.

* Sikhs are legally allowed to carry a Kirpan in public without being in breach of the law.

* Schools, workplaces, and public institutions must respect this religious practice — though security policies may require reasonable discussion.

In short: You are within your rights to wear your Kirpan in public as part of your faith.

What Size Kirpan Is Appropriate?

While there’s no specific legal length limit for religious Kirpans, it’s generally advised to wear practical, smaller Kirpans in sensitive environments to avoid unnecessary alarm.

Tips for choosing a respectful size:
* 3–6 inches blade length is commonly accepted in schools and workplaces

* Wear with a secure Gatra strap that keeps it close to the body

* Keep the Kirpan sheathed and unobtrusive in public spaces

School uniform policy

The school’s uniform policy states: “Sikhism requires that a baptised Sikh should carry a comb (Khanga); steel bracelets (Kara) and a short sword or dagger (Kirpan). These additions to the jewellery / accessory rules are permitted, but any kirpan must be ceremonial: that is, safe and incapable of being used as a weapon.”

A Pembrokeshire County Council spokesman said: “The council is aware of the issue and provided guidance and advice to [the school].

“The school will follow their safeguarding process as outlined in the letter to parents and the council is satisfied that appropriate measures are in place at the school.”

There are more than 535,000 Sikhs living in the UK, including more than 4,000 living in Wales.

Nation.Cymru was unable to find a single instance where a Kirpan worn in a UK school had been implicated in a violent incident.