Labour MS mocks Reform rival over lack of school education
Emily Price
A Labour Member of the Senedd has mocked a Reform UK rival, telling him the “school system clearly failed” him during a debate on council tax rises.
Gŵyr Abertawe MS Mike Hedges offered to “educate” Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr MS David Hughes after the Reform politician heckled him from the opposition benches during Plenary on Wednesday (October 14).
The row broke out as Members debated a Reform UK motion calling for local referendums on council tax increases.
Hedges delivered a sharp contribution, saying he had never heard people respond to a debate with “such ignorance”.
He argued that councils do not raise council tax to punish voters, but to meet demand for services amid mounting budget pressures.
As Hedges continued, Hughes and other Reform Members began shouting across the Chamber.
Hedges responded: “If you want to intervene, please do. I’ll try to educate you, the school system clearly failed.”
Hughes stood up and pointed across the Chamber as he challenged Hedges over his remarks.
“Do you think the taxpayer should pay for everything, Mike?” he asked.
“How high do you think the council tax should go up every year?
“Because under Labour it’s going up and up.”
Hedges hit back, accusing Reform of wanting to privatise public services and shift costs.
He said: “You want to privatise everything, you want the parents to pay for everything, and you don’t want the taxpayer to pay for it.”
Hedges then turned his attention to Reform’s electoral prospects, saying: “We’ll find out next May how few of you survive in local government, and we will find out in three years’ time, how few of you are here.
“Can I suggest that you start looking at council by-elections and figure out when you last won one.”
Before being elected to the Senedd, Hughes served as an independent councillor for the Dowlais and Pant ward in Merthyr Tydfil from 2017.
He also spent time as a member of the council’s executive leadership team.
During Hughes’ time as a councillor, Merthyr Tydfil saw repeated council tax increases, with residents at times paying the highest average Band D council tax in Wales.
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Mike is a very passionate and caring MS and he is very experienced and well respected.
In a highly charged environment usually with reform spouting out their rather useless mantra, I would find to hard to believe any responsible politician would not let the odd jibe slip through