Row as literature festival cancels ex-MP's book event

Martin Shipton

A sell-out event about the political memoir of former MP Jonathan Edwards has been cancelled by a literature festival after pressure from individuals who argued that he shouldn’t have a platform because he accepted a caution for common assault on his wife.

Mr Edwards served as the MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr from 2010 until 2024. He was elected as a Plaid Cymru representative, but after being suspended by the party following the assault, he sat as an Independent.

In his memoir Into The Abyss, Mr Edwards writes candidly about the incident in 2020 that ended his political career, expresses sorrow for what happened and says the assault was weaponised by his enemies in Plaid Cymru.

The Crown Prosecution Service decided it would not be appropriate to prosecute Mr Edwards because the assault was a one-off incident that did not reflect a pattern of behaviour and his wife sustained no injury.

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Disciplinary panel

Initially a disciplinary panel established by the party decided that Mr Edwards had complied with the requirement to attend a domestic abuse course, and that he should be readmitted to the party. But this decision was overturned by the party’s national executive committee, the majority of whose members were allies of former Plaid leader Leanne Wood, whose leadership Mr Edwards had criticised. He subsequently managed the leadership bid of Adam Price, who defeated Ms Wood when she stood for re-election as leader in 2018.

Mr Edwards stood down from the Westminster Parliament before the general election in July 2024. Recently his memoir was published by Cambria Publishing and he was due to appear at an event during the Llandeilo Literature Festival, being held between April 25 and April 27. Llandeilo is in Mr Edwards’ former constituency.

But the event has now been cancelled.

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'Values'

In an email to those who had bought tickets for the event, the festival trustees said: “After careful consideration, the trustees of Llandeilo Lit Fest have decided that the scheduled event with Jonathan Edwards will no longer go ahead at this year’s festival. As a festival, we are committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and welcoming space for all participants and attendees.

“The event was originally programmed as a discussion of a political memoir. However, upon further review, we believe that the nature and content of the recently published book are not aligned with the values and principles of our festival. Our primary concern is to ensure that our festival remains a space where all individuals feel respected and safe. We have determined that the potential for harm and distress to some individuals mentioned in the book is too significant to overlook.

“We remain dedicated to curating a festival that upholds the values of inclusivity, safety, and literary celebration for everyone involved. We thank our community and partners for their understanding and continued support.”

'Disappointing'

Mr Edwards’ publisher Chris Jones, of Cambria Publishing, who has been a sponsor of the festival for a number of years, said: “The decision to cancel the event is disappointing.

“The memoir is already selling well and all 60 tickets were sold at £9. People who bought tickets are getting refunds. The festival will be losing quite a lot of money as well as my sponsorship.

“The book is a political memoir and covers a fascinating period including the run-up to Brexit. It would have been ridiculous if it didn’t cover the caution for assault and the political intrigue that followed.

“It’s important to remember that Jonathan Edwards wasn’t prosecuted. There is nothing in the book that is illegal and it is very unfortunate that a literature festival should cancel an event where a book was due to be discussed.”

If the event had gone ahead, Mr Edwards would have been interviewed by the broadcaster and former rugby referee Alun Wyn Bevan.

Mr Edwards himself did not wish to comment personally.

A free event showcasing the book will be held on Friday April 25 at 6.30 in Penygroes Hall, Carmarthenshire.

In the original version of this article, a quote from Mr Edwards' publisher stated that he did not have a criminal record. This was factually incorrect. A criminal record encompasses cautions. We apologise for this error.