Police are investigating a social media post from a Plaid Cymru councillor apparently posing with a rifle near a Welsh beach and commenting that he was checking “there wasn’t any English people trying to cross.”
Jon Scriven, a Plaid councillor in Caerphilly, south Wales, has apologised and deleted the Facebook post. He has been suspended from the party pending an investigation.
Opposition politicians have strongly criticised the post, accusing Scriven of xenophobia and bad taste, with one saying it showed “the unacceptable face of Welsh nationalism”.
Scriven posted the image of himself earlier this month with the caption: “Ogmore-by-Sea tonight for a quick swim and make sure there wasn’t any English people trying to cross the channel.”
Ogmore-by-Sea is a village in the Vale of Glamorgan separated from the north coast of Somerset by the Bristol channel.
Scriven deleted the post and wrote on his Facebook page: “I would like to apologise for any offence caused by my now deleted Facebook post. It was ill-judged.”
He also said he had apologised to Plaid’s group leader on Caerphilly county borough council, Lindsay Whittle, who he said had accepted the apology.
A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said Scriven had been suspended by the party pending an investigation. “Cllr Scriven’s now deleted post was inappropriate and goes against Plaid Cymru’s views and values,” they said. “He was right to apologise for any offence caused. All Plaid Cymru elected representatives have a duty to uphold the highest standards.”
There was sympathy on social media, with some people saying he had clearly meant it as a joke or that he had been taking a swipe at the UK government’s attitude to people who try to cross the English Channel in small boats.
South Wales police said it was aware of a post featuring a man brandishing what looked like a rifle at Ogmore-by-Sea. Supt Michelle Conquer said: “An allegation of malicious communications has been reported to us and we are investigating the matter.”
Hefin David, Labour’s member of the Senedd for Caerphilly, expressed concern. He said: “Our society is facing huge challenges. We should be seeking to unite and address real concerns such as the cost of living crisis. Wrapping yourself in a flag and hating outsiders won’t help a single person in need.”
To those who posted offensive comments in response to this. Our society is facing huge challenges. We should be seeking to unite and address real concerns such as the cost of living crisis. Wrapping yourself in a flag and hating outsiders won’t help a single person in need. https://t.co/MiozRNirUg
— Hefin David MS/AS (@hef4caerphilly) August 22, 2022
Wayne David, the Labour MP for Caerphilly, added: “This is truly the unacceptable face of Welsh nationalism.”
This is truly the unacceptable face of Welsh nationalism.
— Wayne David (@WayneDavid_MP) August 23, 2022
The leader of the Tories in the Welsh parliament, Andrew RT Davies, accused Scriven of “appalling judgment”.
