Farmer hits back after abuse over Rees Mogg visit
A Welsh upland farmer has hit back at social media abuse he has received after giving Jacob Rees Mogg MP a tour of his farm.
Gareth Wyn Jones, the upland farmer from Llanfairfechan, became the subject of keyboard fury yesterday when he posted a video of himself talking to Rees Mogg on the Carneddau where he and his family have farmed sheep and supported the mountain ponies for generations.
As the views of the video went up into the thousands, many critics lambasted Wyn Jones for participating in the visit, saying that Rees Mogg knew little and cared less about Wales, and was merely performing a publicity stunt.
This morning, in a response to the criticisms, Wyn Jones posted another video hitting back at people’s willingness to attack and be unkind on social media.
He said: “I was a bit shocked by some of the feedback, my wife was really upset by some of the things that have been said, and friends and family too.”
He explained that he was approached by someone in parliament asking for an immersive tour for a Politician about a month ago, and only found out that the visitor was Rees Mogg on Wednesday this week.
He defended his right to raise awareness and educate visitors, regardless of their politics, and said he would always welcome the opportunity to do so.
Confrontational
“This is about opening a conversation; this is about educating people and hopefully Jacob Rees-Mogg and his team have gone back down to London know in a little bit more of what we do here.
“This was not party-political showcase. It was an invitation, and I would give that invitation to any politician, to any AM, to come up and see what we do here. But, it’s up to them if they want to.
“I’ve had Leanne Wood standing on top of that mountain when she was Plaid leader and I’ve had Lesley Griffiths the environmental and Secretary sitting in my kitchen talking about problems in farming.
“So, pointing the finger and giving me a hard time for what we do and especially yesterday – which is quite surreal really on the world suicide prevention day – to see so many people being so nasty and so negative and so personal, I really can’t believe it. Be kind!”
“I’m trying to protect my livelihood; I’m trying to get politicians, whoever they stand for, to understand how farming in the uplands work so we can have a look at how they can drive that forward to helping us.”
After yesterday farm visit . https://t.co/SoDdUIjyqH
— Gareth Wyn Jones (@1GarethWynJones) September 11, 2021
Acknowledging that Rees Mogg is a controversial figure in Wales, he said that at times the meeting was confrontational with some heated debate and some serious questions.
He added: “We’re never going to be everybody’s friend, but we can be respectful of people and we could show them what we’re doing.”
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For goodness sake. For as long as we are governed by the likes of Jacob Rees-Mogg, it is absolutely right that we should try to raise their awareness of the exceptional challenges facing our hill farmers. The abuse suffered by Gareth Wyn Jones is totally misplaced, whatever we may think of Rees-Mogg.
Gareth is a true champion for farmers and as such will speak to anyone, Political or not to raise awareness of the difficulties farmers are facing. He is and educator and an advocate for all things farming. Without farms and the management of our beautiful countryside, we wouldn’t have any food, the land scape would change to waste land. Get a grip nay sayers and see the bigger picture! We are losing farmers to suicide at the rate of one a week because of the stress they are under! The industry needs a voice such as Gareth.
Much as I dislike the cartoonish character of Rees Mogg I accept he has a right to exist and express his peculiar opinions. Accordingly, GWJ was right to attempt to educate this buffoon. Whether that cut through the man’s shell of preconceived opinions and sense of entitlement remains to be seen.
Whether Wyn Jones is a champion or not, he has bad judgement by embracing such a Conservative clown as Jacob Ree- Mogg, one whose actions will damage Welsh farming with Brexit.
Please read the report for an accurate account of events – in no way has he ’embraced’ rees mogg.
Not all Welsh Farmers voted against Brexit. FACT.
Abuse on social media NO. However deserved keep it polite or you lose your case. Worth emphasising that it was only revealed the minister visitor was RMogg just a week before and long AFTER the event was arranged. So clearly they knew it was ‘difficult’ likely to be refused. (They also probably looked into the most flexible, open minded farmer to get their stooge.) Farmer says the visit included argument: that wouldn’t get reported on main media. It would be better if he had refused, and all farmers with him in solidarity. Even a week before he could have said… Read more »
If the social media attacks made were physical threats to both him and his family, are wrong. But if he was ridiculed about his actions of embracing an anti-Welsh plutocrat like Rees-Mogg, one responsible for damaging of rural Wales and the wider-Welsh economy, especially their undemocratic interference in Welsh devolution, any critism is just in my eyes. Remember, the Minister responsible for Wales Environment & Rural Affairs is one Labour MS Leslie Griffiths. Maybe he should have consulted her rather than bypassing our Welsh Government opting to cosy up to that Tory scumbag Rees-Mogg, who I might add, has no… Read more »
What I said was – Abuse on social media NO. However deserved keep it polite or you lose your case. – I did not argue for curbing criticism, only for not using abuse. Abuse is a lot more than physical acts. It’s attacking a person verbally as opposed to their ideas and actions. Say it’s wrong, say it’s a stupid idea, do not say the person is [wrong] or [stupid]. Or abuse words in the brackets. Hard to do with a Tory of course but surely we can stay civilised when speaking to another Welsh person.
British House of Commons, not exclusively English
Fully agree 👍
Its been pointed out to you elsewhere on this thread that the farmer concerned didnt ’embrace’ rees mogg. The visit was arranged by a third party and it was they who extended the invite to rees mogg. You mention lesley griffiths – but fail to mention hes already met her on his farm and spoken with her. Furthermore there is no distinction between online abuse and other forms of abuse – its unacceptable wherever it takes place.
Watch the clip he was introducing Mogg as a special exciting celeb on his farm not a serious interview asking hard questions.
Social media abuse is vile. However Gareth loves attention unfortunately
Far right farmer’s feelings frayed after hosting minister partly responsible for 120,000 austerity deaths and 160,000 Covid fatalities.
Oh dear, how sad, never mind.
Precisely
Tory loving hypocrite Gareth Wyn Jones must realise, if a true Welshman, that Jacob Rees-Mogg referred to our language as “foreign” who is on the record as being hostile to the idea of Wales as a country and hates Welsh devolution. After all, it was Rees-Mogg and his cohorts in London who were involved in stealing Wales EU powers, who are now meddle & interfere with Welsh farming regulations as a result. And also, the Tories recently did trade deal with Australia without consultation with Wales, Scotland & NI allowing tariff-free excess enabling Australian farmers operating mega- ranches the freedom… Read more »
You may not agree with the result but Wales voted to leave the EU.
Actually we didn’t. It was English immigrants that swung the vote in favour of leaving. Actual Welsh voted to stay. Oxford Uni research is the source before you ask.
That ‘research’ is widely is discredited. Merthyr, RCT and Blanau Gwent all voted leave. Hardly overrun with English ‘incomers’ is it? Metropolitan and diverse Cardiff on the other hand recorded the highest remain vote in Wales.
You are a fact denier, sorry.wake up and smell the brexit coffee
Eeuch, smells like vomit.
Maybe,as you believe,Welsh voters didn’t vote for it,but Wales,as a whole,did!.
All the valleys communities voted leave, please stop spreading the myth it was English immigrants, they are not 51% of the population.
Fully agree
Struggle to think of anything positive so called ‘social media’ has brought us? Sickening to see this farmer being hounded like this ☹️
Imagine thinking you can change the mind of a person who has been brainwashed into hating poor people by other over privileged toffs.
I remember Wyn Jones pushing for Brexit and parroting the very same lies the over privileged were pushing. He listened to toffs, didn’t look into what would happen to his farm as a result and now he is having to suck up to the very toffs who lied to him.
Then he should own the Brexit he voted for damaging not only his own business and causing other people to duffer the hardships of brexit if this guys business fails because of cheap oz imports he will just have to suck it up these farmers that voted Brexit deserve no sympathy
He who sups with the devil should have a long spoon.
BAD move Gareth
Dont be silly. Rees-Mogg is a right wing tory who holds some objectionable views but he isnt the devil for goodness sakes. Lets keep a sense of perspective here.
I see it like this. By Wyn Jones entertaining such a man like Ree-Mogg. An anti-Welsh language bigot with an English imperialist mindset. A career politician of the powdered wig variety. Who not only championed Brexit, but was also complicit in stealing Welsh parliament powers. Who I might add, also hypocritically moved his business HQ to Dublin post-Brexit. With association has indeed let himself and Wales down by his ill-judged actions.
Well, let’s see Mark Drakeford and Vaughan Geithing up there , would be more relevant to Welsh Farming than the member for the 1800s, Rees-Mogg clearly does not respect devolution and this PR stunt by him increases that, Rees Mogg could have quite rightly approached the Upland farmers of Cumbria to determine the problems faced by farmers but clearly wanted to cash in on Gareth’s social media status, and it is naive of any Welsh Farmer to expect english tories to provide solutions. The whole Ree-Mogg trip smacks of cap doffing esp the trip to zipworld which has benefited so… Read more »
It’s time for a new wales 🏴 A Free Wales 🏴 stop being little Englanders and be proud to be welsh
Hardly surprising most farmers voted Brexit now the buggers got to compete with cheap imports from aus ye reap what ye sow
I am surprised Jacob Rees-Mogg would know where Wales was.
I expect his valet directed him…
He indulged and supported this abusive politician with a level of gleeful sycophancy that was beyond belief. A man who considers us foreign in our land, who believes he has a right to lord over us. This type of man led to those blue books, the Welsh Not. The closure of industries with no thought of how to replace. This government has no concern or like for Wales, its members only I terested in access to our beaches, planting trees for profit an general using our nation as a holiday park with no concern for our culture and history. These… Read more »
Well said.
Welcome to the distraction. Jacob going walk about, the Social Care bill, turning boats back in the channel, etc. The important bill which will keep the Tories in power for the next 20 years or so is the Electoral Reform Bill which is part of the effort to keep Tories in power by any means. Ask what is worth breaking a manifesto commitment for? Why are the back benchers keeping quiet? Government are making us look “over here” when then really important action is happing in the corner of our eyes, its boring and we are not paying attention to… Read more »
Throwing abuse will only alienate the Welsh independence cause and is just not right. Yes, voice your concern but in a respectful way. Mr Jones doesn’t deserve such bad behaviour and though I’m certainly no fan of Rees-mog if I were to ever met him I’d treat him the same as everyone else while at the same time pressing my argument. Abuse just builds walls.
Dafydd Iwan met with Carlo. These things are possible.