Tory MS branded Welsh deputy minister ‘pr**k’ over 20mph limit
Emily Price
Leaked messages have revealed offensive language used by a Conservative Senedd Member to describe the Welsh minister behind Wales’ 20mph default speed limit.
In a WhatsApp exchange on September 18, 2023 – the day after the speed limit was rolled out on Welsh roads – South Wales East MS Laura Anne Jones sent a message branding the then deputy minister for transport Lee Waters a “prick”.
Her message came in response to a tweet from Mr Waters which pointed out that Ms Jones and several of her Tory colleagues had previously voted in favour of the policy.
Responding to a screen grab of the tweet, Ms Jones wrote: “We voted to ‘look into it more’ when it came for to the actual vote on it – we voted against – he knows this – prick.”
The message exchange came when public uproar over the controversial road regulation was at its height.
The Welsh Conservatives heavily opposed the scheme pledging to scrap it should they ever come to power.
Mr Waters shouldered much of the public backlash and suffered significant online trolling which led to him eventually shutting down his X account.
Two weeks after the default speed limit’s implementation, he survived a no confidence motion tabled by the Tories who called for his removal from the Welsh Government cabinet.
The MS for Llanelli stepped down from his government role when Vaughan Gething was elected First Minister in March 2024.
He recently confirmed he has no plans to stand at the next Senedd election.
Wales 20mph default speed limit has since been proven to save lives with 100 fewer people killed or seriously injured on 20 and 30mph roads in the first year alone – although at least three years of collision data will be required for a fair analysis.
A spokesperson for the Welsh Conservatives said Ms Jones did not wish to comment on the message she sent to her staff about Lee Waters.
It’s not the first time Laura Anne Jones has been caught sending offensive messages in a Conservative group chat.
In August last year, she apologised for sending a racist slur in a text to her office staff.
In an WhatsApp exchange about the Chinese owned video app TikTok, the South Wales East MS sent a message saying: “No chinky spies for me!”
Ms Jones also faced a police probe over allegations she had falsified expenses after messages emerged from her staff group chat.
South Wales Police later cleared her of any wrong doing – but she remains under investigation by the Senedd standards commissioner over her office culture and mileage claims.
Lee Waters decline to comment.
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Recent evidence has indicated that road accidents have significantly reduced since the 20 mph restriction has been imposed.
Which leads me to conclude that, irritating though it is, the new speed limit on urban roads is a worth-while innovation.
A woman on the wrong side of history.
Yep, it could be reduced even more just ban all personal cars we can all take the bus train or taxi we can walk or cycle to our local shop and amazon can deliver all of our needs what’s wrong with that?
I did 60 on a road yesterday, and 50 and 40 and 30 and some 20.
My world didn’t implode.
Awww didums. Is someone tired?
So there is a limit to how many lives you would save.
You are the one outraged and posting ridiculous claims just because you’re asked to obey the speed limit on certain roads.
I think LAJ liked Lee. Hence the use of the word “pr**k, which she likes a lot, allegedly !
It’s good to see the Tories carrying on being Tories. It’s taking away hope of them ever getting a foot in the door of Wales again. An extremely welcome addition to the history books and extremely good news for Wales.