Welsh Secretary David TC Davies has been reported to the police over a leaflet questioning proposed websites for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.
In the flyer, entitled “Gypsy and Traveller site coming to your area soon!”, the Conservative MP attacked the native Labour council for an absence of session on its plans and requested residents of his Monmouthshire constituency: “Would you like to see a Traveller site next to your house?”
The Travelling Ahead Advocacy and Advice Service, which offers help to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities throughout Wales, posted the leaflet on-line, calling it “unacceptable”, and mentioned they’d made complaints about it to his celebration, the Equality Commission and the police.
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Trudy Aspinwall, a mission supervisor with the organisation, advised Wales Online it was a “disproportionate and hostile response targeted at the race and ethnicity” of the neighborhood, which might “make them feel like they are not wanted anywhere”.
But in a press release, Mr Davies denied it was discriminatory, saying the proposed websites have been “a legitimate matter for public debate and scrutiny”, and it was “entirely valid to criticise a lack of wide public consultation by a council”.
He added: “I’ve been contacted by many upset residents on the shortness of the session and the proposed places for the websites.
“I have also been told that many from the gypsy and traveller community are also upset at the proposed locations for the sites. This is not a criticism of the gypsy and traveller community.”
Gwent Police confirmed to Sky News they have been conscious of the flyer, with Detective Inspector Steve Thomas including: “Officers are reviewing the content material of the leaflet and its impression on the gypsy and traveller and settled communities in Monmouthshire.
“We take any allegation of discrimination extremely seriously and we’re committed to ensuring our communities are safe places and welcoming for all.”
But a supply near Home Secretary Suella Braverman mentioned the investigation “appears to be a waste of time”, including: “The police should be laser-focused on further cutting crime and not investigating legitimate public concern.
“The public wish to see police out on their streets stopping crime and catching criminals, not inspecting MPs’ leaflets.”
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Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden rejected claims the leaflet was racist, telling Sky News: “I feel that what David Davis was doing was highlighting the failure of the native Labour council to hold out a correct session on this. That is totally what individuals would anticipate their native members of Parliament to do.
Oliver Dowden
“He’s standing up for his constituents, making their case for them and I totally support his right to do that.”
Shadow enterprise secretary Jonathan Reynolds mentioned he hadn’t seen the leaflet, however warned in regards to the significance of language when coping with such delicate points.
He advised Sky News: “There’s a way to ask legitimate questions of your electorate and engage with them in a way which is seeking their views, and there’s a time when sometimes people use language, I think, to not really engage constituents, but to try and, you know, cause alarm, cause fear and frankly use it for their own political ends.
“These are troublesome points at occasions. Are they doing it sensitively? Are they doing in good religion? If they don’t seem to be, they need to be criticised. If they’re are, I’ll give them some leeway.”
Sky News has contacted Mr Davies for a remark.
Content Source: information.sky.com