Screen grab reveals racist slur by Tory MS in group chat
Emily Price
A leaked screen grab has revealed a highly offensive racist slur sent by a Conservative Senedd Member to a group chat.
During a WhatsApp exchange about the Chinese owned video app TikTok, South Wales East MS Laura Anne Jones sent a message saying: “No chinky spies for me!”
Responding to the offensive slur, one of the Tory MSs former staffers sent a heart emoji and a message saying: “That’s the Laura we love”.
We have verified the telephone number belongs to Ms Jones and in the screen grab her image can be seen beside the message.
‘Unacceptable’
In a statement, Ms Jones said: “I sincerely apologise for any offence this has caused. The word referred to in the article is unacceptable and I deeply regret using it.”
Plaid Cymru says the language used by the Tory MS was “completely unacceptable”.
A spokesperson said: “This kind of vile language is completely unacceptable and inflammatory and should never be used by anyone – never mind an elected representative.
“Members of the Senedd have a duty to represent all of their constituents. Such language reflects a time where the media and certain politicians are responsible for stoking divison and hate in our communities. It is unacceptable and has no place in our society.
“The Conservative group in the Senedd should reflect on their recent behaviour and understand that their actions and words have consequences.”
In 2021, the then Tory equalities spokesperson claimed racism would “die out naturally” during a debate on the Wales Race Equality Action Plan.
She said: “Luckily I believe that a lot of racism is generational and will die out naturally, and it’s always incredibly reassuring when we talk to our young people and how important it is that we do tackle racism an inequality in our communities.”
Investigations
The former shadow culture minister is already embroiled in several controversies after it emerged she was being investigated by South Wales Police and the Senedd’s Standards Commissioner for allegedly falsifying expenses claims.
Officers were called in to investigate Ms Jones after messages came to light that appeared to show she had instructed one of her staff to claim mileage expenses for journeys she had not taken.
Nation.Cymru also revealed in June a number of “sickening” message exchanges between the Tory MS and her staff.
They included offensive remarks about “multiculturalism” and “gays” as well as jokes about her fellow shadow cabinet member, Natasha Asghar.
Tory leader Andrew RT Davies asked Ms Jones to step back from the shadow cabinet while the police and Commissioner carried out their probes.
‘Race baiting’
He was at the centre of rows on Thursday morning (August 8) after the Muslim Council of Wales accused him of engaging in online “Islamophobic race baiting”.
Mr Davies went viral after a post about Halal meat in Welsh schools was shared by the prominent far-right figure Tommy Robinson.
During a week that saw riots co-ordinated by the far-right in England, he went on to publish letters to Welsh councils asking for reassurances that non-Halal meat options are available for school children.
This sparked a string of offensive Islamophobic comments from followers of his Facebook page which weren’t removed.
The most senior Conservative in Wales says he is following up the legitimate concerns of his constituents.
The Muslim Council, which advocates for the second largest faith group in Wales, says Mr Davies’ online posts have “real consequences on our streets and in our mosques”.
We invited Mr Davies to comment on Ms Jones’s racist WhatsApp message but he did not respond.
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Starting to see a pattern here…..
Waiting for her to be sacked….
She’s only sorry because she got caught, which means she’s obviously not sorry at all, especially when you factor in her other sociopathic issues.
Get rid.
Oh oh! Naughty! Not good!!
The leadership sets the culture and there is clearly something rotten at the top of the Welsh Conservatives. You don’t need to look much further than the incompetent blowhard Andrew RT Davies to figure out why they have such poor discipline and tolerate such attitudes and language to go unchallenged. They will be lucky to be in third place in 2026. They are unelectable with the pub boor oaf at the helm. I really would like to see a better standard of politician at the Senedd.
She seems like a bully towards anyone who doesn’t look like her.
If this was any ordinary Joe / Jane Public they would facing a criminal proceeding why not her ?
She’s a Tory, and they’re virtually all Trumpian types by now. Johnson purged all the decent ones – and once upon a time there really were some – once he became their party leader back in 2019. These days virtually all that are left within the Conservative party are the ghouls and the fools.
🙄Aside from the obvious offensive misconduct, I don’t know. It’s just like…. *sigh*, another loser tory trying to be funny when theyre just so pitifully not funny as a general rule. It would suck so much to have to be in that WhatsApp group chat and be like ‘🤣👍Ha! Good one Laura Anne! (🤪😣😒)’. Except by being in the chat in the first place kind of suggests that you’d have a similar sense of humour (or lack there of). Again *sigh*. They’re sad acts. The kind of group chat I’d turn off notifications for and forget about. Whatever. She has… Read more »
The GBeebies driven ‘free speech’ ethos allows Tories and all their ilk to wear their racism on the outside with ‘pride’. That’s what it’s about so all that baffles me is the apology. The behaviour is par for the course.
Shame our coal industry got shut down. We could have had some hot coals to haul her fat arse over …….
Hmmmm dripping sarnies