Restore councillor sparks fresh backlash with abortion remarks

Emily Price 

A Restore Britain councillor who has faced a recent online backlash over comments he made about a rainbow coloured table is facing renewed criticism after suggesting women should not be able to access abortions.

In a post to Facebook, Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr Councillor Owain Clatworthy said that abortion was being “celebrated as if it were something good”.

He wrote: “Thank you to everyone who has messaged me, spoken to me in person, and stood with me over these past weeks.

“What we are witnessing all around us is a society in moral free fall.

“Some now deny the reality of male and female, abortion is celebrated as if it were something good.

“Families are breaking down, law and order is weakening, and too many churches have chosen to blend in with the culture rather than confront it.

“If you still care about your country and your children, then stand firm. This fight is not over.”

His remarks came following an earlier social media post in which he claimed that Christian prayer near abortion clinics was being criminalised while authorities were “turning a blind eye to radical Islam”.

Comments left by Facebook users were largely critical of Cllr Clatworthy, with many mocking or condemning his views.

Multiple political and council sources in Bridgend have told Nation.Cymru they believe that that Cllr Clatworthy’s controversial social media content is driven by a desire for “attention and publicity”.

A Bridgend political source said: “It is beyond comprehension that this ‘post for likes’ Councillor is continuing to attack members of society and residents he is elected to serve.

“Abortion is an extremely complex and emotive subject that needs compassion and understanding from the outset.

“It is not a lifestyle choice or a whim and in many instances is the most distressing time in females lives.

“Cllr Clatworthy is running out of people to attack and it appears anyone who isn’t ‘like him’ is fair game.”

In February, Restore Britain led by Rupert Lowe, pledged to repeal the assisted dying bill and “reverse recent changes which decriminalise abortion up to birth”.

The party said: “British Christians now have a political party that represents their views, and will act on it.”

The decriminalisation of abortion in England and Wales formally became law in April. The legislation amended the Victorian-era Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929, removing the threat of prosecution and imprisonment for women who end their own pregnancies.

Podcast

Cllr Clatworthy also took part in another episode of the Faith Speaks Louder podcast this week.

Hosted by Welsh evangelical Christian YouTuber Faith Jarvis, the podcast has faced criticism for promoting far-right figures and normalising extreme political rhetoric.

During the episode, Cllr Clatworthy and Jarvis read passages from the Bible, praised comedian Russell Brand and American political activist Charlie Kirk, and discussed their view that the Bible does not state that it is “absolutely acceptable” for a man to marry another man.

Cllr Clatworthy complained that he “can’t have a normal conversation” with people who hold left leaning political beliefs, adding that if you speak out against “the left” your life is “in danger”.

The Restore Britain councillor said he was considering hiring “security” after claiming he had received a death threat via his councillor email address from someone calling themselves “the executioner”.

Several formal complaints have been lodged with the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales regarding the online content published by Cllr Clatworthy in recent months.

The 22-year-old, who was raised in care, has faced accusations of homophobia after he branded a rainbow coloured picnic table at McArthurGlen Designer Outlet in Bridgend “mandatory ideology” and a “political view” that was “impossible to escape”.

Bridgend Pride described the post as “deeply concerning” adding that it had invested “significant time, resources and commitment” into creating a community that was “welcoming, inclusive and respectful of all people”.

‘Sin’

 The Restore councillor later became embroiled in a dispute with a Church in Wales clergyman who had written to him arguing that the LGBTQ+ community had been “marginalised and excluded in the Church and in our communities for far too long”.

Cllr Clatworthy hit back in a letter bearing Bridgend Council’s official logo, arguing that “true Christian love does not affirm what God calls sin”.

Political group leaders at Bridgend County Borough Council issued a joint statement distancing themselves from Cllr Clatworthy’s remarks and firmly stating its members did not share or endorse the views expressed within the correspondence issued by Cllr Clatworthy.

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