Tory MS deletes social media photo featuring notorious far-right activist

Emily Price

A Welsh Conservative MS has deleted a photo which captured him chatting with the co-founder of a notorious far-right group.

Darren Millar, who is the Chair of the Senedd’s Cross Party Group on Faith, posted two images to X on Wednesday (September 18) of him speaking with anti-20mph protesters outside the Senedd.

In one of the images, Mr Millar could be seen in a conversation with Stan Robinson, one of the two leaders of the anti-migrant, anti-Muslim Facebook page, Voice of Wales.

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Controversial

The far-right activist and his co-presenter, convicted fraudster Dan Morgan, were permanently banned from YouTube in 2021 for their racist channel.

The pair now releases content via Facebook and have appeared in discussions with controversial characters such as Katie Hopkins and Tommy Robinson.

More recently, the group promoted an event in Wales that sought to stir up racial hatred towards refugees by exploiting a false narrative about the Southport dance class murders.

Stan Robinson, who once called for a Sky News presenter to be castrated with a rusty blade, stood unsuccessfully as a UKIP candidate for Llanelli in the July 4 General Election.

At an election hustings event he described himself as an admirer of the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.

Mr Robinson was strongly condemned in June for liking a social media post that referred to gay people as "pervs" and to London’s Muslim Mayor Sadiq Khan as a rat.

The wannabe journalist joined protesters who gathered on the Senedd's steps on Tuesday (September 17) to mark the anniversary of the 20mph default speed limit - a policy heavily opposed by the Welsh Tories.

In the image published to X, Mr Robinson could be seen wearing a red t-shirt depicting Trotsky, who was notoriously assassinated in Mexico City by an agent of Stalin with an ice pick in 1940.

We asked Mr Millar why he had stood for a photo with the far-right figure.

The MS for Clwyd West deleted the image immediately after our request for a statement and replaced it with another of him speaking with a woman whilst fellow Tory Mark Isherwood stood with Robinson in the background.

In a statement Mr Millar said: "I was one of a number of Members of the Senedd who called on the steps of the Senedd yesterday to chat with 20mph protestors. I spoke to around a dozen individuals.

"I do not know Mr Robinson and nor was I aware of his involvement in spreading hate or fake news. Had I been aware then I would certainly not have engaged with him. "My team has now deleted the image from my posts."