Would-be Labour MS sent expletive-ridden WhatsApp messages
Martin Shipton
A would-be Labour Senedd Member who is also a cabinet member of Cardiff council sent expletive-ridden WhatsApp messages to colleagues criticising two schools in her ward and a Tory opponent.
Jennifer Burke – formerly known as Jennifer Burke-Davies – has been shortlisted in the Caerdydd Ffynon Taf super-constituency for next May’s Senedd election.
The new seat covers the Westminster constituencies of Cardiff North and Cardiff East, and will elect six MSs using the “closed list” system of proportional representation.
Local party members will decide the order in which Labour’s candidates stand to be elected.
Since Cllr Burke’s shortlisting was announced last week, a series of WhatsApp messages she sent in 2018 to Labour colleagues has been leaked to Nation.Cymru.
She represents the Llandaff North ward and is currently the council’s cabinet member for culture, sport and parks.
One of the offensive messages she sent refers to parking problems outside the independent Cardiff Steiner School in her ward. She wrote: “Dan we do something about parking enforcement? I’ve had to park two streets away and carry the babies (24lbs combined weight) because every fucking hippy bastard parent is parked outside that hippy Steiner school on my street disregarding the parking restrictions in addition to the fact that they all drive transporters which are MASSIVE.”
Whitchurch High School
Cllr Burke also criticised Whitchurch High School, which many of her ward residents would attend, for organising a study trip in Costa Rica. She wrote: “Whitchurch High are you out of your minds? Asking parents to find £4,140 for a trip to Costa Rica??? Wondering who actually enjoys the trips more … the kids or the teachers … or am I getting cynical #taking the piss”.
A further message sent by Cllr Burke read: “For a school that had the begging bowl out a few weeks ago it’s pretty shit”.
And in another message she stated: “Whitchurch high [sic] is absolute trash and my children will never set foot over the doorstep.”
She also made a series of disparaging references to Conservative councillor Joel Williams, variously describing him as “an ignorant twat”, “an absolute money grabbing prick” and a “ducking prick”.
Cllr Burke also referred to former councillor Fenella Bowden as “shady”In 2022 a member of the public wrote to the then First Minister Mark Drakeford complaining about the messages and the alleged failure of council leader Cllr Huw Thomas to take action against Cllr Burke (referred to as Mrs Davies) .
The letter stated: “I write to you to make a formal complaint about politicians in Cardiff elected to labour and especially the conduct of Mrs Davies and Mr Thomas. My wife … first complained in January. It’s disappointing no action was taken to investigate. On
On the contrary Mr Thomas has decided Mrs Davies’ horrible views are worthy of promotion. We refuse to let this matter be brushed under the carpet and covered up.
Me and my wife request to clarify several questions.
Q1 What action was taken by Mr Thomas and all Labour politicians in January when my wife sent her email with the messages for further investigation?
Q2 Do Mr Thomas and all Labour politicians in Wales support bullying, humiliating and using disgusting language against politicians from other political parties?
Q3 Do Mr Thomas and all Labour politicians in Wales also believe that Mr Williams is a ducking prick, an ignorant twat and a money grabbing prick?
Q4 Do Mr Thomas and all Labour politicians in Wales also believe that Mrs Bowden is shady?
Q5 Do Mr Thomas and all Labour politicians in Wales also believe Whitchurch High school is absolute trash and parents should not send their children to the school?
Q6 Do Mr Thomas and all Labour politicians in Wales support calling parents that send their children to Steiner school fucking hippy bastards?
Q7 Do Mr Thomas and all Labour politicians in Wales support saying teachers at Whitchurch school are taking the piss and the school had a begging bowl out?
Q8 Do Mr Thomas and all labour politicians in Wales support calling children that want to volunteer to build huts and help people as really gross and going on a jolly?
Q9 Do Mr Thomas and all Labour politicians in Wales believe a politician with these kinds of views holds Labour values?
I repeat that my wife and I will not let this matter rest and be brushed under the carpet. We will be watching what action Labour politicians take against Mrs Davies and Mr Thomas.”
Apologised
Cllr Burke was asked to respond. She sent us a statement which said: “These were private messages sent in 2018. I’ve since spoken to the person involved and apologised directly. We don’t agree politically, but they deserved better than that.
“Like a lot of people, I’ve said things in private I wouldn’t want on the front page. I’ve learned from it, and I take full responsibility. I hope people judge me by what I do now, not by a few unkind words in a WhatsApp chat from nearly a decade ago.”
Cllr Burke did not address the comments she made about Whitchurch High School and Cardiff Steiner School.
Selection processes
A Welsh Labour spokesperson said: “Welsh Labour is currently running selection processes for the 16 new constituencies formed for the next Senedd elections in 2026 following a timetable agreed by the Welsh Executive Committee.
“Ranking for current MSs seeking re-election has completed. All those who have applied to be a candidate for the remaining slots have gone through robust due diligence procedures and the process of shortlisting those candidates is ongoing.”
We also asked Cllr Sarah Merry, Cardiff council’s cabinet member for education, to comment on Cllr Burke’s reference to the two schools. She did not respond to our message.
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Will she promise to push Westminster for a wealth tax if she gets elected?
You mean a tax on private medical care. Like the dentist or chiropodist.
Maybe private schools as well as she was so enraged by the parents’ parking.
The fair thing to do is to raise the standard rate of income tax.
And tax the poorer further?
I clicked through the slide show and sure some colourful language but nothing directed at anyone in particular perhaps that one post which wasn’t to be sent to the councilor it was supposed to be private. People swear. Shock horror. Although a school expecting parents to stump up 4k for a trip to Costa Rica seems… absurd. Honestly the points that were being raised were far more important than the occasional swearing. I live in a former mining community, swearing is practically a requirement to communicate. I have yet to see a councilor or MP/MS whatever… not having swore about… Read more »
I agree, I thought all her points were valid. Not to mention that the Tory she is calling a t**t probably is. He is a Tory.
His Irish comments were inexcusable.
Nice to know the calibre of gutter-talking foul-mouthed members representing our country. Great, absolutely great!!!
Wasn’t it once said that “War is politics by other means”? Now in the fraternal Wales Labour party we have “politics is war by other means”! I remember someone else saying, “what actually unites the Welsh party is how much they genuinely hate each other, it’s a kind of bond!”
Trawling though social media is obviously the way to go to get your horse over the line. Chop their legs off by quote. Whatever happened to politics and ideas in politics? Well, we know…
“It died a long time ago Son, that’s why we’re all wearing black and drinking excessively”
TBH, I find little with to disagree in any that. I’d back an entertainingly frank potty-mouth over a bland cypher any day of the week.
Who cares about such non entities.
I do.
People should think before they post stuff on line. Voters would be wise to shun any would-be politician, whether local or national, who is either too gross or just too dim to have grasped that reality.
It was in private messages. She’s had her trust betrayed by someone.
She has indeed, but what’s happened simply underlines the hard reality that none of us can presume guaranteed privacy when we’re on line.
If that fact doesn’t impact on what you post, you demonstrate a significant deficiency of judgement – hardly what people should value in a politician, whether national or local.
I swear almost very hour in work. The only reason I am still there is because my colleagues don’t record my private conversations. We are human. We will always have moments we need to let go of negative energy. Okay, I don’t swear that often. Just making a point. Probably every 3 hours.
The world is as it is and, indeed, as it always has been, and that means that there will always be people in your circle whom you might assume that you can trust but in hard reality you can’t.
A politician with sense and discretion should surely always be aware of that fact. If you’re daft enough to offer yourself voluntarily as a hostage to ill-fortune, voters would probably be wise to take your poor judgement into account when they decide how they’re going to cast their vote.
I prefer my politicians to be human.
They’re – inevitably! – all human. But sense and discretion are important, too.
Being human surely doesn’t imply the absence of those virtues.
I can understand your argument if she made these comments on live tv, in a council meeting or when talking to a constituent. It was in a private chat and she hasn’t insulted any religious group, Bame or LGBQT.
A ‘private chat’ is what it appears to have been.
But surely the world-wide web and its numerous chat-rooms have been around long enough for anyone with basic nous to be aware of the hazard of offering yourself as a hostage to fortune as as consequence of your indiscretion?
You can’t rely on everyone in your chatroom being your true friend!
I see her “transgressions ” as a positive in this situation.
Then we must differ. The hard reality is that those who venture into public life have to be ‘as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves’, and that takes both effort and forethought.
She’s demonstrated an inability to take that on board, and any adverse consequences are of her own making.
At least they weren’t about immigrants nor were they racist, unlike stuff posted by some politicians of a certain far right party which is always in the news.
Good point.
And? I’ve never understood this handwringing about cussing. She’s an adult speaking to colleagues. She can swear like a sailor if she wants.
Meanwhile Reform wants to abolish Wales.
Silly boy!!!
Was Mr Lowe sacked for his views, or for prematurely expressing them? What aren’t we being told?
So what. She swore. She should hear the words that come out of my mouth when I think of the damage that her unionist party has done to Wales. One hundred years in a chokehold.
All seems like fair comment to be honest.
I can imagine debate with Reform members in the Senedd being very robust.