"Laura Anne Jones used an offensive Chinese slur in a discussion about the threat of the Chinese government utilising TikTok for espionage. On Wednesday evening, the Welsh parliament voted for Jones, who defected from the Tories to Reform in the summer, to be suspended for a fortnight without pay. Jones's suspension is a blow for Reform, which has high hopes of making dramatic gains in next year's Senedd elections."
"According to the report, in another WhatsApp exchange involving Jones in November 2023, a member of her staff posted the message: Suella [Braverman, the former UK home secretary] was correct. We have two-tier policing. It was clear over the weekend if your [sic] white working class, you get hammered, if you're an Islamist it's all fine, spew all the hate you want."
Laura Anne Jones, Reform UK's only member of the Welsh parliament, was suspended for two weeks without pay after posting an offensive Chinese slur in a Senedd office WhatsApp group amid concerns about TikTok and Chinese espionage. The Senedd standards commissioner investigated and the standards of conduct committee reported Jones had posted the racist slur in August 2023. A November 2023 staff WhatsApp exchange referenced two-tier policing and criticised responses to Islamist and white working-class offences. The suspension was approved by a Senedd vote and represents a setback for Reform UK as it seeks electoral gains in next year's Senedd elections.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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