Former Welsh minister becomes tearful describing impact online abuse had on her family
Emily Price
A former Welsh Government minister has broken down in tears whilst describing the abuse she faced on social media throughout her political career and the impact it had on her family.
Former Liberal Democrat Senedd Member Kirsty Williams ended her 22-year-long career in 2021 after she felt unable to keep her family safe from the trolling she received online.
The former Welsh Education Minister appeared as a guest at a special live recording of The Fifth Floor podcast in Cardiff last week.
During a discussion with podcast host Llanelli MS Lee Waters and former First Minister Mark Drakeford, Williams became emotional as she described what politicians are forced to tolerate on social media as “unforgivable”
Service
Williams had served as the MS for Brecon and Radnorshire from the start of the Welsh Assembly in 1999 until 2021.
She was the first woman to lead a Welsh political party and was awarded a CBE in 2013 in recognition of her public and political service.
However, online trolling took its toll on the former minister and she decided not to stand for re-election in the 2021 Senedd election.
Williams has recently taken up a new role as Chair of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board following her appointment by the Health Secretary in July.
‘Unforgivable’
Speaking at the Fifth Floor Podcast live recording, she said: “I just want to speak to the point about how we get good people into politics, and how do we keep good people in politics.
“Being a politician is no worse or better than many other jobs that people do.
“I think the advent of social media and what people have to put up with and tolerate is unforgivable.
“When you think about it, most sane right thinking people would run a mile from putting themselves into that environment.
“I’m worried that it’s baked in now – people who go for that job accept that’s how they are going to have to live their lives.”
Reaching over and touching former Transport Minister Lee Waters on the shoulder, Williams continued: “It’s not pleasant is it? It’s really upsetting to you as an individual and worse than that you have families.”
Trolling
Waters has said he won’t seek re-election in the Senedd next year partly because of online abuse.
The former transport minister was subjected to significant of online trolling and harassment over his role in the introduction of Wales’ life saving 20mph default speed limit.
Ahead of our next episode about candidate selection, this clip from the Fifth Floor / @WalesGovernance event about the beneath-the-surface workings of Welsh Government features former Minister Kirsty Williams questioning whether the right people can, and do, enter politics: pic.twitter.com/CktXP6HEHR
— Welsh Politics Podcast (@WelshPolitics99) October 24, 2025
Becoming tearful, Williams added: “For me that was the end of it. I just couldn’t put my family through that any more.
“If you don’t feel that way and you don’t leave and you don’t put yourself forward – then you have to have a certain kind of personality.
“And I’m not convinced that the people who can put up with that and ignore it and have a skin so thick that they don’t care about it are perhaps not people you that need in a political environment about getting things done.
“I think that – even more than not changing our operating system – is probably the greatest threat to our liberal democracy is the type of people we can recruit and retain in that system.
“I didn’t realise how badly my family were affected until this weekend when I said that I was going to take on the Cardiff job.
“Immediately the pack was back out there telling everybody what a terrible person I was.
“And my girls said, ‘don’t do it. we can’t go through this again’.”
‘Sacrifices’
A clip of Williams was shared online by sitting Welsh Conservative Senedd Member Sam Kurtz who described the impact his political career was having on his own family.
In a post to X, formerly Twitter, Kurtz said: “I’ll never forget my mother ringing me, clearly agitated, asking who this person was hurling abuse at me on social media.
“That was the moment I realised the toll it took on my family.
“This job is a privilege, and with it come sacrifices. But if good people are driven away by vile rhetoric, we have a real problem.
“When did we lose the art of disagreeing agreeably?”
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
She should never have been in politics as she doesn’t have grit.
Well it’s only going to get worse over the next few months.
Reform have raised the bile & vitriol to new levels.
The council by -election in Trevethin gave us a window on that .
When normally the main topic of conversation is whether or not the bins get emptied
Reform turned up en masse all guns firing on a must win basis
Nothing is left off the table.
Reform activists competing with carol singers for your door knock soon .
It’s only going to get worse over the next few months
Reform have raised the bile and vitriol to new levels.
Trevethin by-election where emptying the bins is normally the topic on the doorsteps
If your door gets knocked this December More likely a Reform activist with a leaflet full of abuse than a carol singer..
Politicians should absolutely be held to account, but it’s got to be respectful and never ever personal. Far too many cowards on social media nowadays. “When a debate is lots, slander becomes the tool of the looser.”