Summary
A politician from Reform UK, Laura Anne Jones, used a racial slur about Chinese people in a private WhatsApp chat. She apologized after being banned from participating in the Welsh Parliament for two weeks. The Chinese community in Wales expressed hurt and disappointment over the incident.
Key Facts
- Laura Anne Jones is the only Reform UK member in the Welsh Parliament.
- She used a racial term for Chinese people in a WhatsApp conversation in August 2023.
- Following this, she was banned from the Welsh Parliament for 14 days, and her pay was reduced.
- Jones apologized and said she completed training on respect and conduct.
- The Chinese in Wales Association found the language deeply hurtful.
- Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called her action a "pretty minor offence" but acknowledged it was a mistake.
- The number of people identifying as Chinese in Wales was about 14,000 according to 2021 census data.
