Reform MS’ racial slur caused ‘deep hurt’

RACIST slur used by Reform UK’s only Senedd member “caused a lot of hurt, members of the Chinese community in Wales have said.

- ELLIE GOSLEY

Laura Anne Jones, the regional Senedd member for South Wales East, was suspended from the Welsh Parliament in November after using racist language in a message which broke rules about the standards MSs are expected to follow.

Ms Jones, who defected to Reform UK from the Conservatives in the summer, will be returning to the Senedd on Wednesday after the 14-day suspension.

The Chinese in Wales Association (CIWA) told BBC it welcomed the action taken by the Senedd but said the term she used carried “deeply hurtful and racist connotations” and it was “deeply disappointing to hear such language from an elected representative”.

Ms Jones used a highly offensive term in an exchange on WhatsApp about Chinese-owned video app Tik-Tok.

In the WhatsApp exchange about TikTok she wrote: “No c*****y spies for me!”

When the message emerged, Ms Jones apologised and issued a statement saying the word was “unacceptable and I deeply regret using it” “I sincerely apologise for any offence this has caused,” she said.