Senedd Member suffers vile social media abuse

Martin Shipton

A Labour Senedd Member has suffered vile abuse after raising concerns about comments made in a social media video by a former Royal Marine.

Buffy Williams, who represents Rhondda, received UK-wide publicity following a court case in which a man from her constituency was acquitted of inciting racial hatred.

Earlier this month Jamie Michael, 46, of Penygraig, appeared at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court in connection with a video he had posted on Facebook two days after the Southport murders in which three young girls were stabbed to death at a dance school. In the 12-minute video Mr Michael said illegal immigrants believed "they've got the numbers to take over the country”.

In the video he urged people to "get ready", adding "we're under attack". He referred to illegal immigrants as “scumbags” and “psychopaths”.

He said: "We still outnumber them by about 10 to one... we've not much time left guys, another five years I reckon.

"It doesn't mean getting bats and knives and stuff. (It means) doing things the right way... going to the police, going to the politicians."

People, he believed, should attend rallies held by far-right activist Tommy Robinson.

The jury acquitted him 17 minutes after they retired to consider a verdict.

Since Mr Michael was acquitted, Ms Williams has been the subject of relentless attacks on social media.

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Arrested

Among those supporting Mr Michael are the far-right organisation based in Swansea and Llanelli that calls itself Voice of Wales. In a video, convicted fraudster Dan Morgan of Voice of Wales attacked Ms Williams, stating: “The biggest scandal from this whole thing is the fact that this was a political charge - a politically motivated arrest … Buffy Williams, Labour, instructed her communications officer to notify the police, and the police then went round and arrested Jamie Michael.”

Mr Michael was arrested and spent three weeks remanded in custody pending the court case. Mr Morgan said on the video: “Jamie’s daughter’s birthday was happening while he was inside, and all that poor little girl wanted for her birthday was her Daddy. And Buffy Williams and her communications officer stole that from her.

“This has been justice. Justice has been served for Jamie. There now need to be lots of questions asked about this Senedd Member and about her using the police as a political tool, because she was concerned that Jamie was going to be able to galvanise people in the community that have the same concerns that he did, and the vast majority of the UK does.

“I can say now that Voice of Wales are going to be asking questions of this Senedd Member. Buffy Williams. Labour - and why she thinks it’s appropriate to use the police force in a political way, because she did not like what was being said … This is his Senedd Member, his representative. Jamie Michael’s representative is the one who ratted him out to the police And now it appears that she was absolutely wrong to do so.”

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Racism

One Reform UK supporter responded to the Voice of Wales video, stating: “Buffy Williams, a Labour politician who hides in the Senedd, got one of her publicly funded employees to put in a complaint of racism about a decorated Royal Marine Commando. He was found not guilty so now the hapless coward has deleted her social media. She needs to be remorselessly held to account and driven from office. This is the kind of political scum that is ruining Wales.”

A Senedd source told us that Ms Williams’ mental health had been badly affected as a result of the abuse she had received.

She had been mentoring potential election candidates, but all of them had decided not to seek selection after observing the abuse she had been subjected to.

Poison

Blaenau Gwent Labour MS Alun Davies said: “This is absolutely appalling. This is how the far right behaves and they are stirring up poison on social media.

“Twitter is often referred to as a culprit, but in my area Facebook is the worst offender. The level of personal abuse and threats is absolutely terrible.

“There is a clear need to regulate social media. The abuse will continue until that happens. It is terribly corrosive and will get even worse unless action is taken to stop it.”

A spokesman for the Welsh Conservative Senedd group said: “Everyone here will condemn this kind of abuse towards an elected Member.

“We are entitled to hold different views, but it is totally unacceptable to engage in this kind of poisonous and aggressive behaviour.

“We live in a society where people are able to express their views in the ballot box. Abuse and threats towards individuals undermine democracy and should not be tolerated.”