Plaid defends walkout as criticism mounts over handing debate floor to Reform
Emily Price
Plaid Cymru has defended the actions of ministers who walked out during a debate yesterday as the party faces criticism for surrendering the floor to Reform UK.
Several Plaid Cymru ministers, along with Labour and Green Senedd Members, staged a walkout from the Chamber during a Reform-led debate on Wednesday (June 17).
The walkout was triggered by comments made by Reform’s Joe Martin.
He used his speaking time to joke about Welsh children being unable to read and claimed that nurses were signing up for universal credit because their jobs were being given to workers from India.
Plaid’s Caerdydd Fynnon Taf MS Zaynub Akbar could be heard off camera saying: “I’m going to leave this because I don’t accept any of this and I don’t want to be a part of it.”
Welsh Government ministers, including Trefnydd Heledd Fychan, could be seen walking out of the Chamber along with most of Labour’s MSs including Mike Hedges who branded Mr Martin’s remarks “very nasty and racist”.
Welsh Green Party leader Anthony Slaughter also left the Chamber during the debate, saying it was the “right thing to do” in response to “divisive rhetoric”.
“There’s a clear need to establish early on in this Senedd that this kind of language and behaviour isn’t acceptable,” he added.
‘Unchallenged’
However, ex-Labour MS Alun Davies criticised Plaid Cymru for giving the floor to Reform.
He said: “We’ve really got to do better than this. The whole point of defeating Reform at the polls was to elect people who would take them on and not run away.
“We simply cannot allow the chamber of our national parliament to be dominated by Reform because alternative voices have walked away from taking them on.
“We cannot allow this racism and prejudice to go unchallenged.
“I would expect elected members to be in their places and defeating Reform with the power of their arguments.”
‘Cowardly’
Welsh Conservative MS Andrew RT Davies also condemned the walkout branding ministers “childish” and “cowardly”.
He said: “The Senedd looked like a student union debating society yesterday. It was an incredibly bad look.”
A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: “Plaid Cymru will not stand by as Reform UK make a mockery of our democracy and mock the communities we represent.
“Wales is a tolerant nation, grounded in compassion and respect – characteristics completely absent in the Reform UK ranks.”
The Reform motion that sparked the dispute did not pass. It called on the Welsh Government to end all international spending.
During his speech, Mr Martin branded Wales’ international projects “some of the most pointless schemes known to man”.
He claimed that the Welsh Government’s Ugandan tree-planting scheme had come about after Wales “won the competition for who can find the stupidest use of taxpayer money”.
Jokes
Mr Martin continued: “We actually asked some Ugandan people what they thought about Wales’s scheme to send them money for trees and they said, ‘Why are you sending us money for trees?’
“We then asked the same question to some Welsh students who had been through our underfunded education system, but we didn’t get a reply because we had e-mailed them and they couldn’t read.
“We spend £5 million on mini embassies across the globe. In India, one of the functions of those mini embassies is to recruit nurses to come and work in our NHS, which is great because it means that the Welsh people who would have otherwise become nurses can instead go on universal credit.
“I have enquired as to why we can’t just have an enormous pit where we burn all the money, but apparently that’s not compliant with net zero.”
He added: “Not everyone thinks these are stupid ideas, of course. I did actually receive an e-mail from a constituent the other day in favour of these schemes. I’m joking; I didn’t.”
Closing the debate, Reform’s Jason O’Connell said he was”deeply disappointed” that some Members had left the Chamber when the debate got “tough” adding that it was “absolutely shameful” for the people that voted for them.
Mr Martin was rebuked by the Senedd’s Llywydd the same morning for making derogatory remarks about Sudanese asylum seekers the day before.
Huw Irranca-Davies’ intervention came after Plaid ministers complained that Mr Martin had breached the Senedd’s standing orders.
Rules
In response, the Presiding Officer issued a warning to all Senedd Members that they should follow the Senedd’s rules on appropriate conduct.
At the end of the international spending debate, the Llywydd reissued the warning to Mr Martin.
He said: “I would like you to reflect, please, on the remarks and your contribution today.
“It was not in line with my expectations. Going forward, I think we all need to reflect on this and make sure that we comply with our conduct within this Chamber and the way we comport ourselves in light of my remarks.
“It’s particularly disappointing, as I made those remarks for a very good purpose earlier this afternoon.
“We can have robust disagreement, but with respect for each other and respect for others out there in wider society.”
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Disgraceful to walk out. Grow a pair and stand and fight back. It lets us all down and encourages the bullies. They are using words, so use words back. Democracy is a tough business and you need to fight for it – no matter your opponent. Bevan would not have run out crying when debating Tories because he didn’t like what they said. All those who walked should be suspended or sacked – get people in who have the stomach to fight for Wales. How on earth will we ever get the Barnet. HS2, Crown Estates money etc if we… Read more »
Couldn’t agree more. Reform should be allowed to speak as they want. However, Labour and Plaid should have stayed and called out the comments for what they were – racist – and not held back either. Reform are sometimes given way too much time to breath. Walking out says to me they can’t argue their point. As a keen historian, Churchhill, Disraeli, Gladstone, Lincoln, even Blair(!) and just about anyone else are remembered for staying and fighting the argument rather than walking out. Walkouts are remembered as pettiness, not victories in debate. I can’t think of a time a walkout… Read more »
If only that were true. Sadly you cannot debate far-right extremists when they openly use racist rhetoric and anti-Welsh slurs. Reform are treating the Senedd and Wales with utter contempt.
I disagree, Plaid were not at fault; those racist, pro‑Russia collaborators from Reform were with their racist slurs. However, I do agree with you in one sense: to fight a bully, you must stand up to them – but we must not become what we hate. Sunlight is said to be the best disinfectant, to quote U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis.
They ran away. No more, no less. There was a chance to fight back with coruscating, inspirational rhetoric and they went to the pub instead. Shameful. We are done for. Nothing in Wales will change and Reform will be further emboldened.
Sorry, you are wrong. All you do is lower yourself to their base level. Reform are effectively football hooligans who brush their greasy hair and put on a tie to go to court, giving the impression they are respectable, when you would sooner bathe them in spit than give them the oxygen of publicity. Those who voted for these cretins will regret it, if not already.
Reform UK are making a mockery of Welsh democracy by using racist rhetoric in the Senedd chamber. In my opinion, Plaid Cymru and others who walked out in protest have been unjustly criticised. Would you accept these arrogant far-right scumbags smirking in your face while using disgusting Islamophobic and anti-Welsh slurs. No. There’s only so much you can tolerate before it turns ugly.
Very true.
Deform clown needs to be shown up for the joker he is. Let him keep talking and eventually he won’t be able to speak up much with those big red floppy shoes filling up his mouth.
It’s the Speaker’s job to enforce standards. He’d already slapped Martin’s wrist for a racist remark – he should have taken control and sent him out to cool his rhetoric.
Not a good sign if the Speaker’s losing control this early in the session.
Bit strong of the ‘Welsh’ Conservatives to accuse Plaid of cowardice when they couldn’t bring themselves to front up a robust defence of established Senedd debate rules.
Has ‘free speech’ been so cheapened and trivialised that inciting racist tensions is now considered bravery?
It’s a tricky one as you’re dealing with something more akin to a circus act than a parliamentary group. His comments in the second debate were more bizarre and ridiculous than anything. But then you have to deal with them more robustly and head on otherwise it’ll inevitably continue.
Very true. Reform is not a serious political party, immature in fact , therefore it prefers disruptive over constructive participation during Senedd debates.
Advantage Reform it is then. They’ll continue with these tactics knowing that Plaid etc will flounce out or lose their cool. Starmer and the UK government will also have taken note for any upcoming funding negotiations – Rhun is weak and his team are weaker. Politics is a rough game so I hope Rhun learns from this – he has to.