Shadow Welsh secretary intervenes in Welsh Conservative racism row
Emily Price
The Shadow Secretary of State for Wales has called on Andrew RT Davies to make it “absolutely clear” that the Welsh Conservative party is “inclusive”.
Lord Byron Davies of Gower made his intervention with the party embroiled in a row over racism and Islamophobia.
He also criticised the leader of the Senedd Tories for canvassing visitors at an agricultural show on whether they thought the Senedd should be abolished.
Speaking to Nation.Cymru, Lord Davies said: “The Conservative Party as a whole embraces all cultures, ethnic groups and religions. We are proud to have amongst our membership and representatives at all levels people from these groups.
“There is no other Party view. We are a broad church. The Muslim community have my absolute assurance that the Welsh Conservative Party are an inclusive party and the Senedd Conservative Group should also make this absolutely clear.
He added: “On the issue of abolishing the Senedd, the Conservative Party has no plans to support a move towards this and I see any action to test public opinion on this as completely futile.”
Pressure
The shadow Welsh secretary joins former leader Lord Nick Bourne, party President Glyn Davies and Tory MSs Peter Fox and Natasha Asghar in speaking out about the recent racism allegations.
Ms Asghar, one of two Muslim MSs in the Tory Senedd group said: “Whilst there might be a few with totally warped and unacceptable views, the majority of us are decent, tolerant, and accepting people.”
Pressure has been mounting on Andrew RT Davies after the Muslim Council of Wales accused him of “Islamophobic race baiting” and “hamfisted attempts at dog whistle racism”.
The Welsh Tory leader came under fire after accusing a school in the Vale of Glamorgan of not providing non-Halal options to pupils.
His letter to Cowbridge School went viral on X, formally Twitter, after the issue was amplified by far-right figure Tommy Robinson.
The school and council both say these claims are “incorrect”.
Mr Davies also penned an opinion column for GB News headlined, ‘Children SHOULD NOT be forced to eat Halal school lunches’.
The most senior Tory in Wales says he is following up on the concerns of his constituents.
Apology
A text message also surfaced last week which showed Tory backbencher Laura Anne Jones refer to Chinese people as “chinky spies”.
She apologised for the racist slur – but has not yet had the party whip withdrawn.
Andrew RT Davies told Radio Wales Breakfast: “Do we take people out and tar and feather them or do we actually accept an apology, understand that people learn the lessons of their mistakes and move on?”
He also faces pressure over a home made ballot box he used to ask visitors to the Vale of Glamorgan Show if they thought the Welsh Parliament should exist.
Senior Tories and several members of Andrew RT Davies’ own Senedd shadow cabinet took to social media to make clear that abolishing the Senedd is not party policy.
Tory MS Paul Davies said: “The Conservative Party is clear – it is not Party policy to abolish the Senedd so not sure why this question is even being asked.”
Andrew RT Davies told the BBC: “If you want to engage with a group of society that do hold a view contrary to yours, you pose a question, then you engage with them on a one to one basis.”
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All bets off now. He just published another article on gbeebies attacking the Welsh government.
He had his chance.
Welsh Tory party, you are now a party that supports that awful farage and reform, you are now on the coat tails of Davies gracing that awful station, gb news. How do you untangle this, go quietly knuckling your forehead to Davies or pull your socks up and make the Welsh Cons a decent party.
‘…and make the Welsh Cons a decent party.’
Which the Conservatives used to be; well, at least some of them!
There were and still are. Some of them could run rings around the labour party as they stand. Good governance needs good opposition, not a dog whistle and someone that is trying to get social media likes from dubious sections of society.
Doesn’t matter who has the majority. But Cap’n tub thumper is not the leader they need. Unless you are Johnson in No10 and that era has long departed.
‘Some of them could run rings around the labour party as they stand.’
Really? How come, then, that they don’t?
Leadership.
Mmm … maybe.
You get a capable leader in, tackle policies without the gb news attacks. Do it competent and measured. Take 20mph. You say you disagree then say everyone must follow the direction but you will monitor the situation then tackle the real data not the knee jerks. Instead they denigrated it to the point many probably feel OK with breaking the law then find out ARTD will not be paying their fines. This sets up a possible Tory Leadership for people ignoring anything they set up, why bother, they don’t seem to encourage people following Labour laws. ARTD would be hauled… Read more »
I wouldn’t demur from any of that! It sounds wholly sensible and positive.
Maybe you could consider involving yourself more closely in local politics?! I did, when I was younger, and found it really absorbing.
Oh dear. Another intervention and this time from an actual sitting superior in the house down the road. It seems that enough negative noise has been made so that they have now finally heard of the bloke and they’re stepping in to say ‘pipe down’.
He’s always been a fool.
If ARTD is suggesting in his reply that the “abolish” view is contrary to his own, perhaps he would like to pen an opinion piece in Nation Cymru explaining why he supports devolution and our democratically elected Senedd.
Shouldn’t be too difficult should it …
I’m not fan of the Tories at all but many people seem to struggle with the fact that Islam is not a race, it’s a religion. So, bearing that in mind, what has RT Davies actually said that’s racist?
Maybe you should have read the story before commenting.
Obviously, I read the article: now, I challenge you to answer the question.
I rest my case.
In the first place, the headline refers to the Welsh Conservatives, not Andrew RT Davies, and I presume you wouldn’t argue that Laura Ann Jones’ text wasn’t racist. In the second, you’d have to be considerably more naive than the level of linguistic ability in your posts would suggest, to be unaware of the frank relationship between Islamophobia and racism. Most practitioners of the former have never read the Quran or studied Islam as a comparative religion, but they’re confident that they can recognise a Muslim when they see one.They’re brown and likely to have beards. Hence, a Sikh colleague… Read more »
He resents Welsh Devolution and the Senedd.
He’s mean and punches down.
He repeatedly tries to sow division.
He thinks compassion and fairness are ‘Woke’ and as such to be despised.
He’s a horrible excuse for a human.
Honestly, this “Welsh Farage” should just join Reform and be done with it.
The Welsh Tories and their English masters in London being the arrogant popinjays that they are ignored calls to sort out the islamophobia in their party. And since those warnings have done absolutely nothing but stoke the boiler of division red hot with their attacks on asylum seekers and Islam that whipped up those thugs who rioted in England & Northern Ireland recently where mobs began attacking police , causing millions in damage to buildings & business, resulting also in the rise of attacks of Muslims and Mosques targeted due to misinformation, lies & rumours spread on social media by… Read more »