- News
- UK
- UK Politics
Laura Anne Jones was suspended from the Senedd for two weeks for using an offensive remark
Athena StavrouWednesday 03 December 2025 09:52 GMTComments
open image in galleryMembers of the Welsh Chinese community have said a racial slur used by Reform UK’s only member of the Welsh Parliament was “very upsetting” (Getty Images)
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox
Get our free View from Westminster email
Get our free View from Westminster email
Email*SIGN UPI would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice
Members of the Chinese community in Wales have said a racial slur used by Reform UK’s only member of the Welsh Parliament was “very upsetting”.
Laura Anne Jones was suspended from the Senedd for two weeks for using an offensive language in a WhatsApp group in August 2023.
Ms Jones, who defected from the Conservatives earlier this year, made the remark about Chinese people in a group discussion about the Chinese-owned app TikTok in August 2023. She wrote: “No c***** spies for me.”
Ms Jones has issued an apology for the comment and was banned from the Senedd chamber for 14 days, which the Chinese in Wales Association (CIWA) welcomed.
However, the group said the term used by Ms Jone carried “deeply hurtful and racist connotations” and it was “deeply disappointing to hear such language from an elected representative”.
Shirley Au-Yeung, founder and CEO of CIWA, told the BBC that the slur was "very upsetting”.
open image in galleryLaura Anne Jones was suspended from the Senedd for two weeks for using an offensive language in a WhatsApp group in August 2023 (Getty Images)“This word is sometimes used without people fully understanding its impact, but public figures should be especially mindful of the harm such language can cause,” she said.
“We don't want to live in a society where racially derogatory language is normalised or dismissed.”
Ms Au-Yeung added: “Many ethnically Chinese people born in Wales have shared that their Welsh identity can feel questioned at times because of how they look".
“People look at their face and think they are migrants. They feel they are Welsh but other people question and this hurts them so much.
"We don't use this word in our language. It exists in English, there is no direct translation. This term has historically been used in negative and racist contexts, and its impact is still felt deeply."
Foo Seng, advocacy lead at CIWA told the BBC: “By using that word you are telling the public that it is OK to use that word to talk about the Chinese community.
“The upset we feel is difficult to express, but it just is demeaning.”
open image in galleryMs Jones said she “fully accepted” the findings of the parliament’s standards committee when she was suspended last month. (Getty Images)The Independent has contacted Ms Jones and Reform UK for a further comment. She said she “fully accepted” the findings of the parliament’s standards committee when she was suspended last month.
“As for the language that I regrettably used in the private WhatsApp messages, I would like to take this opportunity to apologise once again for that in this chamber,” she said, adding she and her staff have completed Senedd respect and conduct training.
“I never meant to cause any offence and would never have that intention of doing so. It is deeply regrettable that the message and others in which I had aired my frustrations in private, which I’ve also apologised for and do again, were leaked to the press and made public, where they had the potential of being misconstrued and hurt someone unnecessarily.”
The committee also looked into allegations that Ms Jones had fraudulently made false expenses claims, but found “no breach of the code of conduct” in that regard.
More about
Reform UKWalesJoin our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments
