Text messages emerge in Tory bullying row

Emily Price

Ableist and offensive text messages sent by a Conservative Senedd Member to her staff have emerged following allegations of bullying by a party official.

WhatsApp messages sent by Laura Anne Jones to her team group chat appear to show that the South Wales East MS made derogatory remarks about a caseworker she suspected of having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

In text messages sent to her staff in August 2023, Ms Jones wrote: "I was soooooooooooooo nice to him too. I tried to be so understanding.

"I even asked is he has ADHD or something and if he needed extra support .. coz something isn't right with him!?"

In further text messages to her team, Ms Jones said: "He did nothing. Couldn't get hold of him. Literally. Ever.

"Only thing he did do was fuck us up so we can't move from this Newport constit [sic] office!"

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The then shadow education minister sent her team another text branding the former caseworker a "wanker".

Her then chief aide Ed Sumner - who recently joined Reform UK as the party's communications lead -  replied: "Grade A prick".

He added: "Don't think he realises how disliked he is.

Ms Jones sent further texts saying: "No one want a [sic] him here".

She added: "He's a bitter twisted - useless - person."

It is understood that the caseworker being discussed in the group chat by Ms Jones was Huw Davies - a Conservative activist and deputy chairman of the Monmouthshire Conservatives.

When the texts were sent, he had already left Ms Jones' employment to work for Monmouth MS Peter Fox instead.

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Complaint

Last Month, Mr Davies made claims on social media that he had been "openly bullied" by Conservative Senedd Members.

In a row on social media with Tory MS Natasha Asghar, he alleged that he felt unable to raise a complaint about the new incumbency rights rules for sitting Conservative Members because "personal insults" had been being directed at him.

Responding on X, Ms Asghar refuted the allegations saying: "Honestly Huw I do not recall anything being said that would be deemed 'bullying' at any official meeting.

"If anything had occurred there are enough of us with principals would have spoken up and won't hesitate for a second to speak up for unjust/untoward behaviour of any kind."

Mr Davies responded: "I don't think this tweet will age well."

The policy for readopting Senedd candidates was agreed over a year ago but has been heavily opposed by the Tory activist and other grassroots members who say the process is unfair.

Welsh Conservative Chairman Bernard Gentry told Nation.Cymru that Mr Davies had been "a critic of the party for some time" but added that he was not aware of any bullying complaints.

Investigation 

The Conservative Senedd group did not wish to comment on the text messages sent by Laura Anne Jones.

She is currently under investigation by the Senedd standards commissioner Douglas Bain after concerns were raised about her expenses claims and the workplace culture in her office.

In August last year, Ms Jones apologised for sending a racist slur in a text message to her staff.

She also faced a police probe over allegations she had falsified her mileage claims.

South Wales Police later dropped their investigation after "no evidence of fraudulent activity" was found.