In Stave One of A Christmas Carol (December 1843) charity collectors approach Scrooge:
"At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge," said the gentleman, taking up a pen, "it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the Poor and Destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir."
"Are there no prisons?" asked Scrooge.
"Plenty of prisons," said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.
"And the Union workhouses?" demanded Scrooge. "Are they still in operation?"
"They are. Still," returned the gentleman, "I wish I could say they were not."
"The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?" said Scrooge. [Stave 1: 50-51]
Yes Scrooge's spirit lives on as we here that a Cardiff Conservative councillor who called for homeless people's tents to be torn down has been suspended from the group.
Kathryn Kelloway was branded "inhuman" for asking Cardiff's Labour council leader to "tear down these tents".
Ms Keloway represents leafy Cyncoed, a ward which share with twoLiberal Democrats
| Election Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Wendy Myfanwy Congreve | Welsh Liberal Democrats / Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymru | 1874 | 14% | Elected |
| Kathryn Francis Kelloway | Welsh Conservative Party Candidate / Ymgeisydd Plaid Geidwadol Cymru | 1852 | 14% | Elected |
| Bablin Molik | Welsh Liberal Democrats / Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymru | 1769 | 13% | Elected |
| Lee David Patrick Canning | Welsh Conservative Party Candidate / Ymgeisydd Plaid Geidwadol Cymru | 1737 | 13% | Not elected |
| Lee Grant Gonzalez | Welsh Conservative Party Candidate / Ymgeisydd Plaid Geidwadol Cymru | 1733 | 13% | Not elected |
| Jayne Alice Lutwyche | Welsh Liberal Democrats / Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol Cymru | 1727 | 13% | Not elected |
| Ian Charles Bounds | Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru | 996 | 7% | Not elected |
| Alvin Kin Bing Shum | Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru | 757 | 6% | Not elected |
| Louise Thomas | Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru | 710 | 5% | Not elected |
| Timothy Aaron Jones | Wales Green Party / Plaid Werdd Cymru | 415 | 3% | Not elected |
Ms Kelloway said she stood by her comments and was "glad what I said has raised so much awareness".Her Twitter post sparked a massive backlash and the Conservative group said her suspension was "in light of recent comments on social media".
The tweet, which has received more than 1,400 replies, said: "Cllr Thomas, if you seek safety in our city centre, if you seek prosperity for local businesses, if you seek a better image for Cardiff. Cllr Thomas come to Queen Street.
Well wrapped up for the weather she is pictured in front of the tents
“Cllr Thomas, tear down these tents.”
Cllr Thomas, if you seek safety in our city centre, if you seek prosperity for local businesses, if you seek a better image for Cardiff. Cllr Thomas come to Queen Street. Cllr Thomas, tear down these tents.
2,654 people are talking about this
The council's Conservative group had dist
She attracted more than 2,000 replies to her original tweet and among her critics were former Wales rugby players Gareth Jenkins, who said she made him "sick", and Ian Gough who called her "a disgrace to humanity".
Other people called the tweet "inhuman", "vile" and "disgusting".
In response, Ms Kelloway said:
"I stand by what I said - I want to raise awareness of such an important issue.
"There's no denying there's a problem, I'm glad what I said has raised so much awareness and is a platform for people to discuss."
But even her Conservarive colleagues seem to be appealed by her publicity stunt.
he council's Conservative group had distanced itself from Councillor Kelloway saying her views "in no way reflect the views of the Welsh Conservatives".
Now Cllr Kelloway has been suspended from the group.
Writing on Twitter on Friday evening, Conservative councillor Jayne Cowan said:
"In light of recent comments on social media, Cllr Kathryn Kelloway has been suspended from Cardiff's Conservative Group. No further comments will be made at this time."
She said the suspension had been made pending an investigation.
Wales Online reports thatThe decision also comes after Cllr Kelloway attacked Twitter critics in a further statement by describing them as "virtue signallers" who don't represent public opinion.
She said:
"I have long wanted to raise awareness that there are enough spaces in Cardiff’s hostels, where homeless people receive fantastic support from the council and partnered charities. I have many times asked the council executive to do more to make the public aware of this and dispel the myth that rough sleepers have nowhere to go. I’m glad that my tweet has gone some way to achieving this.“The most important thing is that homeless people are in warm, safe accommodation where they can receive support, rather than on the street where they are at risk. A permissive attitude to tents will not help toward this goal."Twitter is not representative of the public. It is disproportionately used by political activists who are happy to misrepresent the views of others in order to signal their virtue and justify their hatred of opponents."
Responding to Cllr Kelloway, Cardiff council's Labour leader Huw Thomas described her comments as "awfully judged".
He said:
"An awfully judged tweet.
"Of course no one wants tents in our city centre, but we have to act sensitively, and support people into accommodation with help for their underlying needs. Small wonder homelessness is soaring under this Tory Gov, if 'tearing down tents' is their mindset."
Former Welsh rugby international Gareth Thomas told Cllr Kelloway "
You make me sick. I have friends who live in tents there and the circumstances that brought them there and keeping them there are terrible."
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