Plaid Cymru councillor criticised over ‘English people’ gun-pose Facebook post
A Plaid Cymru councillor has been criticised by Labour and Conservative Senedd members over a Facebook post in which he posed with a gun-shaped object and said that he was making sure “there wasn’t any English people trying to cross the channel”.
The now-deleted message appeared on Councillor Jon Scriven’s Facebook page on 8 August but it was picked up on social media today.
The post by the councillor who represents Penyrheol in Caerphilly said: “Ogmore-by-Sea tonight for a quick swim and make sure there wasn’t any English people trying to cross the channel.”
Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies responded to say that he was “speechless”.
“This is a Plaid Cymru councillor. [Plaid Cymru leader] Adam Price cannot let another scandal rage on without decisive action. This sort of xenophobic attitude is beneath us.”
Earlier Caerphilly’s Labour Senedd Member Hefin David had drawn attention to the post, saying that it was “not appropriate”.
The Welsh Liberal Democrats called on Plaid Cymru to suspend the councillor, with a spokesperson stating that there was “a clear implication of violence and xenophobia in this post”.
“Whether or not it was intended as a joke or not, it is entirely inappropriate for an elected official to make such comments, when they should know better.
“With so much hate in politics the last few years we should be trying to build bridges, not stoke division further.
“Plaid Cymru must now do the right thing and suspend the councillor in question.”
Nation.Cymru has contacted Jon Scriven and Plaid Cymru for comment.
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Yeah…Plaid should suspend a councellor when Boris Johnson is still Prime Minister …and Rishi Sunak can threaten lawyers and the courts without barely a word of censure.
It’s time this union we are apparently part of was dissolved.
He should not be carrying an air rifle in a public place without a proper reason and out of a securely fastened case or slip.
What the twerps across the ditch do has no bearing on this stupidity.
I am disappointed (and disgusted) to see that a person, in the public eye, would act so inappropriately. His actions are against the terms, granted by the local Police Authority, for the ownership of either firearms or shotguns and some air rifles/pistols. Not only should he be dismissed from his political party but he should have his firearms certificate withdrawn and his weapon(s) confiscated.
Oh hello. The Tory Party PR representative has arrived. It’s an air rifle and not a powerful one. That photo is taken in a car park. I dare say the toy gun was put back in the car straight after the pic. Interesting that you think a councillor should quit for insulting your party, but I don’t seem to recall seeing you here when Tories propose denying Cymru it’s democratically elected government, it’s share of tax revenues, it’s freedom to govern itself. Or complain about the Tories’ theft of our resources, their own law breaking, both domestic and international, fraud,… Read more »
Hope you feel better with getting that lot off your chest! Let me reassure you that my comment was NOT politically influenced, I don’t know what gave you the impression that it was. Incidentally I have supported Plaid for longer than I care to remember. There is a strict code of conduct, where the handling of any type of firearm is concerned, which should be adhered to at all times, unless we wish to revert back to the ‘gung ho’ attitude of the USA. There is no such thing as a ‘toy’ gun. A child should be educated how to… Read more »
There definitely is such a thing as a toy gun. I have fired real weapons and I have as a child owned toy guns. As mention below, I willingly recant the personal comments and genuinely apologise. However, the shrieking overreaction to this hurts me to my soul that our once proud nation is reduced to a bunch of quivering daisies willing to sacrifice a man’s career over a (quite funny) post on Facebook. It was just prop comedy. That so many people on the far right and so many of our own people are having a fit of the “morally… Read more »
Actually, reading my response it was more aggressive than intended. I stand by the content, but sorry for the personal comments. They were out of order
You can see Cardiff from there…what’s wrong with the man?
It’s an air rifle. A pellet gun. They give them to kids. It has a very short range. I think the people of Cardiff are safe. Might even be a toy gun.
Not quite what I was getting at but I’m sending off for a new irony meter anyway…I didn’t know Plaid was allowed that close to Cardiff after dark…
What is a grown man holding a toy gun for then…
A joke picture for social media. Anyone with children (especially boys) has access to toy guns
Some parents do not promote the idea of weapons to their children, and that was no BB gun and no joke, not really (unless it was a spoof of the village people). When I was 16 and the troubles in Ireland kicked off I was convinced the war between Ireland and England would be fought in Wales (the Irish coming ashore like the giant crabs in Guy N. Smith’s great book to attack the base at Llanbedr, though that book had not yet been written) and I had contingency plans to take to the hill forts of the Rhinogydd, remember… Read more »
So a facebook post of a guy with a toy gun is akin to Bloody Sunday? Okay.
It can’t happen here…wanna bet!
We had better hope Labour finds somebody else to save our vegan bacon, because little Miss Truss like many of her promoters are the most dangerous kinds of people among us. Just ask Forrest Gump…
Still a tasteless joke, though, although some might be forgiven for giving the reply “It’s just banter”. Also rather demeans Plaid Cymru. And didn’t it occur to him that all the BritNat trolls in creation would jump on this with absolute glee?
I found it funny. It’s punching up at the people with their foot on our necks, using exactly the same language and behaviour THEY do when punching DOWN at refugees and asylum seekers.
Trolls will troll whether we provoke them or not. When did our nation become quivering appeasement daisies?
Cymru is no more. Welcome to Western England, playground of the unionists
What does this have to do with Albanians?
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Plaid is about promoting Welsh culture – with view of independence – through politics and there is nothing in Welsh culture on show here. Just fuel for those wanting to say Plaid is about hating England for a stupid joke.
Hasn’t he learnt anything from stupid American politicians?
There’s plenty one can learn from the militaristic posturing of English politicians without crossing the pond. Maybe they could send over Armchair General Francois (TA, Ret’d) to sort the councillor out, with his stiff upper lip, blitz spirit etc. Honestly, who CARES what the English Tories say about us. They have demonised us for a paltry tourism tax used in most of the civilised world. They kick us and undermine us at every opportunity. I’m not going to war about the manufactured outrage over a man taking an edgy photo with a toy gun, but really [#%*$!!] them. They are… Read more »
Clywch clywch! Well said!
Artie was “speechless”, then made one of his usual butthurt speeches.
Apart from carrying his air rifle in a public area (no “firearms certificate” required), this was clearly just a parody of the Texan “minutemen” “protecting” their borders from Mexicans and of the hateful people of Kent(sic) “patrolling their ugly pebbly beaches to harass any refugees who might have crossed.
I wonder if Artie would be similarly “speechless” about the amount of dogwhistling anti-non-English hatred his own party spews out. Or is that fine?
Occupying nations are always so sensitive aren’t they?
Why Why Why are folk so silly on their Facebook Pogos??
Why is ARTD ‘ speachless ‘ ?
Why is HD spending time on this when people are dying waiting access nhs services in his patch ?
All three partys need to get a grip
Asp 🤔
Nothing directly to do with Plaid or any other party. I can’t make out the spec of that gun but if it’s a pea shooter as described by others then as long as he’s not loaded, not poised to discharge then it won’t harm anyone other than the easily offended, like ARTD !
Odd innit, that we never heard a thing from ARTD when likes of Gove were often cited for being in possession of white up the nose powders, or any of his ministerial heroes engaging in widespread corruption when awarding contracts.
I’m sure, of course, that if this had happened on the other side of the channel, the people kicking up a fuss about this wouldn’t all be chomping at the bit to lecture us about “snowflakes” and how everyone is too easily offended and can’t take a joke these days……
What an idiot. Can Plaid please stop with the jokes and point scoring and just act professionally.
I don’t know, I quite like living in a country where our politicians have recognisably human characteristics
Swap the word ‘English’ for ‘migrants’ and this no mark councillor would rightly be facing a maelstrom of criticism. ‘It’s just banter’ is not a defence to someone in public office
Except that using “English” is punching UP against the foot on our necks. Whereas using “migrants” (as a dishonest catchall for immigrants and refugees) is punching DOWN at people searching for a better, safer life.
I’m surprised you can’t tell the difference
Albanians escaping France? Would you have them as neighbours, laddie?
I am Saes. I live in Cymru. I will vote for independence whenever the referendum is. There are plenty like me. To win independence the English in Wales need to be persuaded. This sort of idiotic Facebook post, joke or not, does not help the cause.
Your support is welcomed and I hope you enjoy living here. But this is one councillor making an edgy joke (which is indeed FAR tamer than many of the anti-refugee “jokes” coming from senior Tories – including the MIA PM and the 2 PMs in waiting – in Wasteminster). If support for independence is conditional on something so trivial in comparison, I wonder how committed it is. Bear in mind that we have English people inside and outside Wasteminster telling us You are not a real nation Your language makes you fascists We own you We subsidise you You rely… Read more »
This is the direction the DUK is going,what do people expect, when the home secretary Priti Patel wanted the Royal Navy to send ships to push migrant boats back towards France the Navy said they would refuse, but when Patel makes such proposals, others are going to follow in that vein. This week a caller to LBC radio wanted darts fired at migrant boats to sink them. This attitude comes right from the top of the Tory party leadership group.
Maybe we could send illegal English migrants to Rwanda?
*Rhondda
This was a joke in poor taste. But let’s not lose sight of the REALITY. This was clearly aimed as a satire on the REALITY of the New Tory policy of dealing with people seeking safety on our shores after fleeing war or oppression. The REALITY of refugees shackled, beaten and deported to central Africa. Let us not lose sight of that REALITY amidst the faux-outrage at this tasteless joke.
Personally I found the joke funny. If it gave Wasteminster and its lackeys the opportunity to fake outrage, all to the good.
This is an an unimportant,if somewhat amusing story.However the much more important story is what Prof Nathan Abrams has to say about life in Bangor,a story you have assiduously avoided so far.
OK, so I missed that story. Was it about Stanley Kubrick and “Eyes WideShut” or something else? Plese satisfy our curiosity.
Where would I find that?
I thought that you could only shoot English people with a longbow in a churchyard on a Sunday? But open season on any invaders. Keep up the good work!