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Uni prof criticised for branding Welsh Tories the ‘lowest form of life’

22 Jun 2021 2 minute read
Conservative Sarah Atherton successfully captured Wrexham for the first time since 1935. Picture by DannyK1712 (CC BY-SA 4.0).

A university professor has been criticised for branding Welsh Tories the “lowest form of life”.

Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, who is a Chair in Ancient History at Cardiff University, came under fire from Conservatives for his post on Twitter. He has since deleted his account.

Tory Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies called the comments “childish”, while Cardiff University Conservatives said they were “disappointing”.

In his tweet Llewellyn-Jones, who is also Director of the Ancient Iran Program for the British Institute of Persian Studies, said: “A Welsh Tory. The lowest form of life.”

A spokesperson for Cardiff University told Nation.Cymru that the post does not “represent” its views and that it “expects” all its members to “treat others with respect”.

Cardiff University Conservatives said: “Disappointing to see @cardiffuni senior lecturer, Professor @LloydLlewJ brand Welsh Tories as ‘the lowest form of life’.

“Lecturers should be encouraging diversity of thought and promoting an inclusive campus, not attacking students for their political affiliation.”

‘Baffling’

Tory Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies said: “It’s baffling how supposedly educated people can resort to such childish insults. Time to tackle this head on.”

A Cardiff University spokesperson said: “The views expressed in no way represent the views of the University.

“We understand that these are historic and personal comments, expressed on a personal account.

“However, whilst they are personal comments the University expects all members of the University community to treat others with respect, courtesy and consideration at all times.”


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Charles Evans
Charles Evans
3 years ago

Quite right. It’s fair enough to dislike the Welsh Tories, to vehemently disagree with them on anything and everything, but dehumanising anyone who is a Tory shouldn’t be acceptable.

There’d rightly be outrage if someone described Plaid voters as “sub-human” – it cuts both ways.

Last edited 3 years ago by Charles Evans
Shan Morgain
3 years ago
Reply to  Charles Evans

But Tories dehumanise themselves, by their own free choice. No one forces them to be cruel, greedy, entitled. They’re not born that way like gender or race. Nye Bevan called them vermin, and he was a leading UK politician. Providing it’s a personal opinion this is free speech.

CJPh
CJPh
3 years ago
Reply to  Shan Morgain

Indeed, it is the profs right to hold that opinion, as it is for any principled supporter of Welsh emancipation to point out that this undermines everything we claim to be – a modern, potential-filled democracy ready to take our place on the world stage. If our civic, political, religious and academic leaders spout simplistic, totalising hot takes instead of meaningful, thoughtful points (or just holding their tongues), we will find ourselves exactly where we’ve been for centuries – at the kiddies table living off scraps.

Reject sound bites, embrace the higher order principles our nation deserves.

Charles Evans
Charles Evans
3 years ago
Reply to  Shan Morgain

I assume you were happy with Katie Hopkins calling drowning refugees “vermin”, and calling for a final solution? It’s “free speech”, after all?

And “Tories” doesn’t just cover Tory MPs/MSs, or even Tory Party members. It also covers people who vote Tory. Are you really saying it’s OK to dehumanise all those people?

Anyway, just because you ‘can’ say something, doesn’t mean you ‘should’ say it. And it doesn’t mean you’re free from the consequences, either.

Padi Phillips
Padi Phillips
3 years ago
Reply to  Shan Morgain

It’s not an opinion but established fact that Tories are cruel, entitled and greedy. 130,000 unnecessary deaths from Covid, a similar number of disabled and vulnerable people reliant on benefits dying due to Tory welfare policies and their corrupt approach to giving state contracts to their supporters, transferring huge sums of public money into private hands and thinking that doing this is part of their birthright.

CJPh
CJPh
3 years ago
Reply to  Padi Phillips

What, precisely, do you propose we do with Welsh tories, Padi? If a tory party member from Monmouth refused your assessment and is not convinced by your position, how should we treat them? How would they be treated in the Cymru you propose? What if, say, a Labour led government implemented the same sort of policies that resulted in a proportionally similar number of excess deaths? How should this be investigated and, if culpability is assigned, what should be done then?

hdavies15
hdavies15
3 years ago

Never heard of him before and I suspect that goes for a lot of people. He’s obviously jumping on the Bishop’s bandwagon with a blanket hate message about Tories. Well boys and girls, if you really want to win in the end I suspect you will need to get some of those hated Tories on-side as the alternative – eliminating them all – is not an internationally approved solution ! It may be wokey fashionable to preach hatred of Tories but down in the dark realities of politics and managing change it is your ability to persuade and sell the… Read more »

Shan Morgain
3 years ago

I don’t really see the problem. This was a personal opinion not claiming to represent the university or any other group. As Nye Bevan said Tories are vermin. If a leading politician says it so can others. It’s not the same as expressing contempt for gender or race which are not categories of choice. It’s contempt for a group’s ideas and acts for which they must accept responsibility. If they don’t want comments like this they must clean themselves up and evolve into a higher form of life.

hdavies15
hdavies15
3 years ago
Reply to  Shan Morgain

” Clean themselves up” sound very judgmental to me. With an entrenched position like that you are not likely to ever persuade anyone to swap positions, attitudes, change “sides” in the political debate. Remember that people of quite modest means, traditionally regarded as working class, have been voting Tory in droves especially in the UK elections. They don’t seem to have been so keen on voting Tory in the Senedd Gymru elections but maybe they are the ones who are not turning out at all. If that is the case then it presents a big target for future conversion but… Read more »

CJPh
CJPh
3 years ago
Reply to  Shan Morgain

Worrying rhetoric here. Those who hold principles that differ from your own (and mine, for that matter) are to be considered vermin? Are not ‘higher forms of life’? Do you realise how prejudiced that sounds? What about those who practice a different religion? That is a choice, as much as political affiliation. What of nationality, that’s mutable? Is it OK to refer to Catholics lower forms of life? Would you consider, say, Iranian nationals vermin, given the human rights record of the state? You have advocated for home rule, Shan, an arrangement that many of us who support independence believe… Read more »

Mark
Mark
3 years ago

I would love to know why those young people pictured actually think the xenophobia, racism, sexism, selfishness, greed, lies, corruption and elitism that the tories are responsible for, are attributes worth voting for, it really doesn’t give you much hope for the future.

Charles Evans
Charles Evans
3 years ago
Reply to  Mark

They probably don’t see Tory ideology the way you do…

CJPh
CJPh
3 years ago
Reply to  Charles Evans

More partisan ghost hunting. One side sees that spectre of Il Duce floating from the mouths of people who want to support small businesses and are sceptical of critical theory, your side see the ghost of Marx emanating from the pores of those who want a social safety net or care about the disenfranchised. There are some far right loons, some leftist loons and some low-information fantasists. Then there’s the other 98% of people in Wales who are wondering what to have for dinner.

Mark
Mark
3 years ago
Reply to  Charles Evans

the only tory ideology I’ve witnessed over the last 50 years is one of making the rich richer and the poor poorer. An ideology of greed and selfishness is nothing to aspire to.

Charles Evans
Charles Evans
3 years ago
Reply to  Mark

If that’s what you see, then fine. It’s what I see, too. But it might not be what they see. If you’re unable to comprehend that some people have a different perspective to you, then I worry for you.

j humphrys
j humphrys
3 years ago
Reply to  Charles Evans

I would think there is now a ton of “worrying” ahead for Tories, if the Amersham by election is anything to go by. A 16,000 majority turned to an 8000 maj. for LD’s, shows that, even in the Tory heartlands, people have had enough of Brexit, Jingoism, and lies. What this holds for Welsh Tories can only be guessed at, but seeing as they have never been popular with the Welsh people, it would be wise to stock up on the Band Aids. The toxic atmosphere we are witnessing, did not come from nowhere, as the “right” on social media… Read more »

Last edited 3 years ago by j humphrys
Cai Wogan Jones
Cai Wogan Jones
3 years ago

I do not like the crude tribalism in UK politics. And nowhere is it more crude and tribal than in Wales. Let’s challenge the ideas, but avoid wholesale demonization of the political labels.

Last edited 3 years ago by Cai Wogan Jones
CJPh
CJPh
3 years ago

Seconded.

Royston Jones
3 years ago

This is the kind of narrow and exclusionary thinking that blights Plaid Cymru, YesCymru and others – ‘Either agree with us or you’re a fascist, racist, homophobe, transphobe, etc.

It does Wales no good at all. And it’s certainly damaging the drive for independence when a vociferous and intolerant minority not only decides who it will work with but what kind of future Wales we must all accept.

CJPh
CJPh
3 years ago
Reply to  Royston Jones

C’mooooooon, mun. This circular firing squad stuff is what’ll kill the movement. If we all keep the goal as prime (indy), then those who insist on mandating the nature of a free Cymru before maximal support is gained will either shut up (until that battle is required) , or throw their toys out the pram and slink back to their ideological dungeons. Both Yes and Plaid, whatever their perceived/real drawbacks, advocate for a sepearte Welsh state. Whatever noise they produce that you don’t like, please hear the underlying tune – rhyddid. Let’s not hamstring ourselves – grin and bare the… Read more »

Nick Randall-Smith
Nick Randall-Smith
3 years ago

Obviously not all Welsh Tories are the “lowest form of life”, but personally I think Andrew RT Davies may qualify as an unusual life form, the man even looks like a lump of uncooked gammon.

Josh Foster
Josh Foster
3 years ago

Was he just trying to curry favour with lib nutters after his massive faux pas slagging off Prof Alice Roberts’ book? Prat.

Gaynor
Gaynor
3 years ago

Between Tory And Trans extremists we won’t have any free speech in Welsh establishments soon.

CJPh
CJPh
3 years ago
Reply to  Gaynor

Meh, let em all speak. Makes no difference here – no devolved legal system, no say anyway

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
3 years ago

Well he has a point, obviously not every member is a low-life but the party is definitely cruel, nasty and self-serving.

Leigh Richards
Leigh Richards
3 years ago

No brief whatsoever for the welsh tories but should we be labelling any party as “the lowest form of life”? We need to be reducing the frightening levels of toxicity in contemporary political discourse not adding to them.

Nick Randall-Smith
Nick Randall-Smith
3 years ago

Tweet in error, repent at leisure! Not all Tories dwell in the mud at the bottom of the political pond, just a lot of them. 😂

Elizabeth Foster
Elizabeth Foster
3 years ago

Anyone on here who agrees with the comment from this university person is supporting of people who have hatred for those who are different to themselves. In brief this means they have hatred and ill will towards all those who don’t follow their beliefs. This was the Nazi philosophy. The Nazis who tortured and killed all those who didn’t agree with them and it started subtly with words such as the words coming from this university professor. I understand he teaches History so he’s well aware of how much vileness and anger his comment is capable of drumming up. Cardiff… Read more »

jamie
jamie
1 year ago

they are also a bunch of disabled hating scumbags

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