Plaid Cymru Senedd candidate stands down after using ‘crude’ term to describe children
Emily Price
A Plaid Cymru Senedd election candidate has announced he will stand down after he used a highly offensive term to describe children.
Neil Roberts was hoping to win a seat in the Caerdydd Penarth constituency on May 7 but faced a backlash when a social media post revealed he had referred to children as “cum pets”.
The post had been distributed on social media by Reform’s Welsh leader Dan Thomas who called for Plaid’s leader Rhun ap Iorwerth to “give urgent clarity on whether he supports these comments”.
Roberts said the Twitter post from 2021 was “inappropriate” adding that he took full responsibility for it.
The Plaid Cymru hopeful had used the term after another Twitter user said they were “against people having kids just for the sake of it.”
“Don’t have children if you’re not capable of raising them,” the user added.
Roberts replied to the post: “Cum pets are for life not just for Christmas”.
In a statement, he described the phrase as an “online slang term” adding that the post came from an “old defunct social media account”.
“It was a crass attempt at humour and I regret it deeply,” he said.
‘Crude’
Roberts later issued a further statement to BBC Wales saying: “Years ago, I made a comment using online slang that was inappropriate and crude.
“The language I used was wrong, and I take full responsibility for it. I apologise unreservedly for the offence and concern it has caused.
“I do not want this to detract from the campaign or from the issues that matter to our community.
“I am therefore stepping down as a candidate with immediate effect. I wish the party and its candidates the very best in this historic campaign ahead.”
Loan company
In August last year, Nation.Cymru reported that Roberts was working for a payday loan company charging interest of up to 93.8%.
The company was owned by a billionaire under investigation for fraud.
Roberts also came under fire for a series of historic social media posts, one of which he called Donald Trump a “c**t”.
At the time, Plaid Cymru declined to comment.
News that Roberts will step away from the Welsh election comes after a separate Plaid Cymru Senedd election candidate apologised for social media posts he published over ten years ago that used sexist language and referred to illegal drug-taking.
Clwyd candidate Bradley-Hughes said he was “deeply sorry” for the comments which included highly offensive song lyrics.
In a statement he said: “These posts were made over fifteen years ago, when I was a teenager, and do not reflect the person I am today.
“Some quoted song lyrics, which I shared at the time without thinking. They do not reflect my views whatsoever. I am 31 now and would never make such comments today and I understand that they were wrong at the time.
“Looking back I can see how easy it was to make careless comments online as a young person at a time when social media was new and there was little guidance for teenagers. That said the responsibility was mine and I take it fully.
“I am deeply sorry for any offence or concern they caused. I have grown and learned a great deal since then. My values today – respect, inclusion, and public service – guide everything I do and I am committed to living by them every day.”
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He also voted for brexit and works for a payday loan company.
https://postimg.cc/8JwVGfHR
https://nation.cymru/news/plaid-cymru-senedd-candidate-works-for-payday-loan-company-that-charges-interest-of-up-93-8/
People should be allowed – and encouraged – to change their mind, Chris.
Sadly, when you stand for office, you have to be aware that your past may come back to haunt you. At least he, Neil Roberts, did the right thing by admitting fault, acknowledging that the language he used was unacceptable, and has now stood down as a Plaid Cymru candidate for the good of the party. Hopefully, in the future, he can re-enter politics and make a difference.
Indeed, politicians are expected to be squeaky clean these days. I wonder how many of us would pass muster if our entire lives were put under the microscope?Perhaps if you’ve spent your entire life in a monastery!?
Sheltered life, lol. You are a tease. To be clear, If you make insulting comments like that, think about the future consequences if you decide to run for office, as you are giving others ammunition to use against you. And no, I am not defending Neil Roberts, but he has paid the price for his comments made — whereas Reform UK have defended and made lame excuses for a candidate, ex-Tory ministerial adviser, Corey Wilson, who was pictured performing a Nazi salute, who’s still standing in May’s Senedd election. Call me picky.
I wouldn’t disagree with you about people who aspire for political office having to be careful about everything they write, say or do these days. I suspect many older politicians are very lucky there was no social media around when they were younger.
Yes, the digital footprint is a difficult thing to erase; it’s indelible. Once something is said, it’s set in stone. Politicians of a certain vintage are very fortunate, although I find that the likes of Nigel Farage and his ex-Conservative cohorts in Reform UK, even when it is proven they are racist, feed off infamy and are unapologetic. At least Plaid’s Neil Roberts accepted that his remarks were unacceptable and then stood down as a candidate. The same cannot be said of Reform’s Corey Wilson.
Does Dan Thomas support Corey Edwards’ Hitler salute? Will he be sacked if Edwards doesn’t have the decency to resign from standing in the Senedd election?
At the end of the day, Reform has candidates who do Nazi salutes, and Plaid Cymru has candidates who mis-spoke on social media years ago. The Telegraph article on this story is rancid and homophobic. We should be aware who is behind this mud slinging and realise that when these people get into our institutions we’re going to have to defend ourselves against them constantly.
Not really, Plaid have dodged a bullet here. Politicians should be held to account, it’s good that this has been brought to public attention.
It was a stupid, insensitive, obscene thing to say and Plaid Cymru acted quickly to disown him. Makes a nice change from the sluggish “vetting” efforts of other parties.
The matter was swiftly dealt with and credit to both of them for a resolution
Reform are probably a little upset they have no more bandwith to spin this negatively
This is in sharp contrast to Malcolm “oozing” Offord.
Reform’s leader in Scotland with his innppropriate crude homphobic reference to George Michael
That occupies a level of its own and he should definitely be out the door
He has been desperately trying to bury it
Even though it took place when he was in his 50s and a seasoned businessman
Is foot in mouth disease notifiable?
I have to question why he is even in a party like Plaid Cymru when he repeatedly says and does things to get himself into trouble that is behaviour of a right-winger, his background as a Tory is starting to make a lot of sense, Leopards can’t change their spots so easily than one might think.
I have big respect that he apologized and stood down, that takes accountability and ownership.
The trouble is he’s not alone in politics.