"Tory AM Mohammad Asghar stokes fury by describing Blaenau Gwent as 'third-world' and comparing parts of his region to Eastern Europe
Mr Asggar who once was a Plaid AM for the South East Region before controversially switching to the Tories said South Wales East was the poorest region in the UK, including areas such as Blaenau Gwent, Islwyn, Torfaen and Merthyr Tydfil and said the government should be “ashamed” of its record for unemployment, education and housing.
He added: “In this part of the world...if you look at Newport, Merthyr, Caerphilly, Pontypool, Hengoed, Bargoed...go and look at the empty shops.
He added:
“In this part of the world...if you look at Newport, Merthyr, Caerphilly, Pontypool, Hengoed, Bargoed...go and look at the empty shops.
“I go there every week, Deputy Presiding Officer. The record that they have is virtually the worst in the world. We are getting this European funding. You have failed to deliver. You make this part of the world like the third world – like eastern European countries.”
But Mr Asghar’s comments were denounced by First Minister Carwyn Jones in his response to the debate, saying they were a “profound insult” to those who live in Blaenau Gwent, while the constituency AM and Natural Resources Minister Alun Davies called on Mr Asghar to apologise to the people of Blaenau Gwent.
First Minister Carwyn Jones said
: “Let me tell him that in third-world countries, as he calls them, people die of malaria, They die of polio.
“I went to Uganda in January, there was one hospital there which covered four and a half million people with six consultants.
“If you had cancer, you died. If you had heart disease, you died. If you had any disease that required drugs that cost a lot of money, you died. That’s what you describe as a third-world country, or a developing country, looks like.
“To describe Blaenau Gwent in those terms is a profound insult to the people who live there and is a profound insult to those people who live in developing countries who face very difficult lives – I ask him to reconsider that point.
Well yes, but Mr Asghar was actually referring to eastern Europe and may have be wrong to use the term third world.
But Carwyn Jones, can't deny that Blaneau Gwent is not one of the poorest areas of the EU at least and can he not accept that after 15 years of his party in power in Cardiff Bay, eleven of which Labour were also in power at Westminster under Blair/Brown they must take some responsibility for this?.
Of course coming from a Tory it sticks in the craw o here and but who can deny there are parts of our Nation where there is extreme deprivation.
It is sad that Plaid Plaid Cymru AM for the region, Jocelyn Davies could not attack Labour rather than Mr Ashgar when she , said: “
The Member’s comments were silly, ill-considered and show that he knows very little about Blaenau Gwent.
"The South East is an area that has suffered significantly as the result of Tory cuts, but the Conservative AM’s comments show how out of touch he is."But Jocelyn , Ashgar has a point about the state of the region it is a bigger insult to the people there t to to side with Labour and put the blame on the Tories.
To solve a problem you have first to accept it exist.
It may be hypocritical of a Tory to point things out, But did he in his interjection blame the people of Blneau Gwent or the Labour administration?
Blaming Labour for its failing in government is not the same as attacking those they represent though you some time Labour think they own their constituencies.
But is it not time Plaid stopped Pussy Footing with Labour and started attacking them for their failures over the last 15 years ?
It is time they stopped worrying that they will be accused by Labour of siding with the Tories by pointing out that the former must take its responsibility for the deprivations of areas of Blaneau Gwent.
The people there deserve better and clearly the answer does not lie with a Labour or Tory whether in Cardiff or Westminster administration.
They need a New Hope where will it come from/
”
2 comments:
Ashgar is right. He's saying nothing that anyone else hasn't said before.
You're right, why the hell is Jocely Davies and Plaid Cymru not attacking Carwyn Jones. Ashgar isn't insulting the people of Blaenau Gwent (unless, of course, Labour think that East Europeans and inferior) he's making the point about the poverty of the area - poverty created by Labour rule.
The Valleys gets Objective One because of Labour mis-rule. Jocelyn should be attacking Labour not allowing Carwyn Jones and Labour to come over as some defenders of the down-trodden Valleys. Wales is poor because Wales (and Blaenau Gwent) votes Labour.
Jocelyn's been in the Assembly too long. Time Plaid chose somene with more fight in them.
Plaid miss an open goal to follow Labour's anti-Tory jingoism. The Plaid line here is to call Labour hypocrits and racists for infering that being called East European is an insult when it isn't.
I'm afraid Plaid has sold out, and I am pretty disillusioned with them in general. They tend to just go with the flow, albeit do have more "go" than labour.
I also have to disgree with the statement of "Blaming Labour for its failing in government is not the same as attacking those they represent ..."
In my opinion it is the people in the constituencies who voted for the party who is in power. If Labour is to blame, then the people who voted for them are equally to blame.
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