Monday 16 December 2019

Andrew RT Davies, needs to keep a sharp eye on his own party.

Wales Online  has a story A Cardiff University lecturer has been criticised by a Welsh Tory for branding Conservative voters "vermin".
They say 
In a post-election tweet, Dr Andy Williams said: "British men & boomers [are] statistically more likely to be vermin than women & the young."
Former Tory assembly group leader Andrew RT Davies asked university bosses to consider whether this showed an "inclusive and tolerant atmosphere".
Dr Williams said he was quoting his political hero, Labour's Aneurin Bevan.

Gere's the actual quote

No amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party. So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin.

A senior lecturer at the university's school of journalism, media and culture (Jomec), Mr Williams referred in his tweet to polling data suggesting that men and older voters had been more likely to back the Conservatives in last week's general election.
In response, Mr Davies tweeted: "I'm a big defender of free speech, but not sure how @cardiffuni can maintain an inclusive and tolerant atmosphere with teaching staff behaving like this.
"I will be writing to the vice chancellor to express my concerns."

Mr Davies seems to  have appointed himself  as the Welsh Tories attack dog, since  resigning the leadership , and whilst I accept that in this case he may have a point  Dr Williams defence does suggest he presumed people have more familiarity, with Welsh political History than most of us.

Speaking to BBC Wales, the South Wales Central AM claimed the views expressed could reflect "a wider pattern from others within the establishment".
"If this was about race, religion or sexual orientation there would be outrage," Mr Davies said.
"What's alarming is he's a lecturer in one of our premier universities and he's in a position of trust.
"You're meant to look after students from every background. It shows a bias that's dangerous."
Screenshot of Twitter responses by Andy Williams
Image copyright
TWITTER/ANDY WILLIAMS
Mr Williams, who previously spent a short period as a researcher for Plaid Cymru assembly member Leanne Wood, responded to critical tweets by defending his choice of words.
In one response he said: "I was quoting Nye Bevan, a political hero of mine. I stand by my view of Tories as vermin.
"Those who support, whether wittingly or not, the human devastation doled out by the Conservative Party are not worthy of respect."
In another response, Mr Williams said "the only problem with the vermin metaphor is that I've known quite a few decent rats".
As the Labour health minister who launched the NHS in 1948, Aneurin Bevan spoke of his "deep burning hatred" for the Conservative party which had opposed its creation, saying that "so far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin".
A Cardiff University spokesman said: "These are Dr Williams's personal comments, expressed on his personal account.
"They do not reflect the view of Cardiff University.
"We will respond to Mr Davies's letter as soon as it's received
."
Dr William's "Vermin"Tweet is unfortunate at the very least , but the reaction from the Tories who are not exactly reticent when it comes to Insults and I do not  seem to recall Andrew RT Davies ever criticising the words of his beloved leader.This is the man who described black people as “­piccaninnies” with “watermelon smiles”, ­compared Muslim women to bank robbers and letterboxes, gay men as “bum boys” and much, much more that is offensive. As editor of the Spectator, he published a poem describing Scottish people as “a verminous race” who should be exterminated. The poem went on to describe Scots as “tartan dwarves” who were “polluting our stock” and suggested that the country should be turned into a “ghetto” with the inhabitants submitted for “extermination”.
Yes we who will continue to oppose "Boris" Johnson  and  hiss supporters which  includes the racists Tommy Robinson and the vile Katie Hopkins, who now believe the Tory Party speaks from them , must avoid criticising those who have been seduced , by the rhetoric which has been enhanced by a media that has backed the move to the Far Right.
Andrew RT Davies if he is to , condemn words from a Welsh academic, needs to keep a sharp eye on his own party as well.

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