Tory councillor suspended over ‘serial dads’ documentary appearance

Emily Price

A Welsh Conservative councillor has been suspended from the party after Nation.Cymru revealed he had appeared in a “serial dads” documentary that showed him leering at young women.

Rogerstone North Councillor Nick Baneswell claimed he and his fellow Newport Conservatives were “in the dark” about the reasons behind his suspension.

A spokesperson for the Welsh Conservative Party said: “Nick has been suspended from the Conservative Party pending an investigation.

“As this is an ongoing and confidential process, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

Baneswell won the Newport local by-election in Rogerstone North on May 8 securing 597 votes, with Plaid Cymru candidate Iestyn Davies coming second with 287.

Four days later Nation.Cymru revealed that the pub landlord had appeared in an “Only Human” documentary for Channel 4 in 2021 using his real name – Nick Portman.

The shocking programme starred four “serial dads” who had fathered over 70 children with more than 40 women.

Baneswell boasted to cameras that he had “never carried a condom” in his life as he discussed being a father of ten children and grandfather to three grandchildren from relationships with five different women.

Channel 4 said his status as a “serial dad” was due to him jumping from one woman to another over a 20 year period, leading him to have a “relaxed attitude” about his relationships with women.

Ladies man

Baneswell told cameras he had never planned to have so many children.

Grinning, he said: “It was just, things happen, and I enjoy.”

The programme described the pub landlord as being “always on the lookout to impress the ladies with his man-about-town status,” as it followed him at work hosting a 50th and 18th birthday party at his pub.

Laughing, he told cameras: “I’d rather go to the 18th.”

In difficult to watch footage, Baneswell was seen leering at a young woman who’s face had been blurred by Channel 4 as she entered the pub.

The 47-year-old asked the young woman if she was looking for the 18th birthday party.

As the woman passed him in the corridor, he pulled a sexually suggestive face at the camera before sticking his tongue out and laughing.

The documentary also featured Baneswell’s 20-year-old fiancé Lauren who he had met when she was just 17-years-old.

Proposed

The mother of one, who was 27 years Baneswell’s junior, explained how he had proposed to her three months into their relationship.

Footage shit in Baneswell’s pub showed him putting his arm around several young, blonde female bar staff as he introduced them to cameras.

Describing her struggles at seeing her partner flirt with women at work, Lauren told Channel 4 that her fiancé was “one of the most flirtiest” men she had ever met.

Baneswell argued that his reputation as a ladies man came with his job as a pub landlord.

Later in the programme, he gave his thoughts about his relationship with Lauren.

He said: “The relationship that I’m in now with Lauren, we’ve got a ten month old baby and I’ve got to go work, she’ll want me home and I can’t be home – I like to do my thing.

“You know, if I want to go out – I’m going out.”

Channel 4 explained that Baneswell had previously found himself in hot water over his ability to “charm the ladies” – with his “wandering eye” often leading to relationship breakups.

Discussing being cheated on by her partner, Lauren said she would still stick by him.

Baneswell responded by mocking his partner, saying she stayed with him because she had “no choice”.

Despite this, Nation.Cymru understands that the couple are no longer together.

Email

Nation.Cymru asked Baneswell’s election agent, failed Tory Senedd candidate Jake Enea, if their newest councillor had been vetted appropriately before being selected to stand in the Rogerstone North by-election

Enea initially issued a statement saying the Conservatives had no prior knowledge of the documentary and that an internal investigation had been launched.

However, he later withdrew the statement before accidentally forwarding Nation.Cymru an email thread containing the friends, family members and colleagues with whom he had shared our press inquiry.

In the email thread, Enea claimed that newly elected Casnewydd Islwyn Senedd Member Natasha Asghar was the source of our story.

Nation.Cymru replied to Enea — and to all recipients included in the thread — making clear that Asghar was not the source of our reporting.

Mr Enea did not respond.