MS refused to use Welsh Labour advert during Senedd election campaign

An MS refused to use a Welsh Labour advert during the Senedd election campaign, he has revealed.

Hefin David, the Labour Senedd member for Caerphilly, said he believes his party took the “wrong approach” with its social media ads.

He made the revelation during an interview with former Abolish the Welsh Assembly candidate Richard Taylor on the Rich Politics YouTube channel.

According to David, Welsh Labour should not “boast” about the way the pandemic has been handled in Wales.

Richard Taylor said: “Here in Wales, constantly we’re hearing from Welsh Labour and the Welsh Government you know about the success, and you know, how many people have been vaccinated.

Hefin David replied: “Welsh Labour did an advert, you know for candidates to put on their Facebook page you know. ‘Welsh Labour’s vaccinated all adults’ or whatever it was.

“I didn’t use that. I didn’t use that in my campaign because I don’t think that’s what campaigns should be about right, and I think any time Welsh Labour says ‘oh you know, we’re champions of this’, I think that’s the wrong approach.

“I think you need to be saying ‘judge us on our record as a government, judge us on what we’ve done during the pandemic’, but don’t start making memes about it.

“You know I just think that’s not the way forward.”

Taylor replied: “Yeah, what I think people are frustrated about with restrictions here in Wales, and I certainly am, I’ve had enough of them to be quite frank with you.

“I think it’s because, certainly here in Wales, we most about the success of how it’s been handled. Ok I get that.

David replied: “I don’t think you should boast. I don’t think you should boast.”

Taylor said: “But then, I take your point and I can see.”

‘Union Jack’ 

During the interview David also said he has said he has “no issue” with plastering a 100ft Union Jack on a Cardiff tax office.

The MS said he does not “care about whether there’s a flag here or there”, following the decision by Cardiff Council to green light the “advertisement” on the side of the UK Government building.

The ad, which is set to be wrapped around the outside of the landmark city-centre building, Tŷ William Morgan, has prompted a fierce backlash, as well as a 20,000-strong petition from pro-independence group YesCymru.

According to YesCymru, the flag “does not represent the people of Wales”, and it branded the move a “blatant political act designed to act as a provocation”.

In response to a question from Richard Taylor on the subject, Hefin David said: “I think when politics starts becoming about flags, I think politics is in the wrong place.

“I really don’t care about whether there’s a flag here or there. I quite like the design of the Welsh flag. It’s a very good looking flag, and we’re a very proud nation as well you know and there’s nothing wrong with that.

“But I’ve got no particular issue with flags being flown in certain places as long as they’re respectful. You know, whatever. Why’s it an issue?

“Politics is about much more fundamental issues than that.”

Richard Taylor agreed, saying “Of course it is. I think it’s an issue to those who make it an issue, and especially media here in Wales sometimes they want to make it an issue because it gets stories and clicks and all that kind of stuff.”

David said: “I think they fly the Union flag outside Caerphilly council. In fact I’m not sure if they fly it outside the Senedd, so you know.”

Taylor replied: “I’m a little bit like you on that but… for me it does mean something. I’m not one, I don’t walk around draping the flag you know.

“But it does, I recall what we’ve been through historically through previous wars and that kind of stuff. We fought together as a nation, so it means a lot to someone like myself. I am a patriot in that sense.”