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Members of the Chinese community in Wales have expressed that a racial slur used by a Reform UK politician caused significant pain and distress. Laura Anne Jones, the party’s sole representative in the Welsh Parliament, is returning to the Senedd chamber following a two-week suspension over her use of this offensive term during a WhatsApp conversation in August 2023. This disciplinary action included a pay deduction and prevented her from participating in parliamentary proceedings during the ban.
The Chinese in Wales Association (CIWA) praised the Senedd’s decision to impose sanctions but emphasized that the language Jones employed carried “deeply hurtful and racist connotations.” They described it as “deeply disappointing to hear such language from an elected representative.” After receiving the punishment, Jones offered an apology for her “regrettable comments” made in a private message. She stated on November 19 that she and her team had completed respect and conduct training and that she had reached out to support the community affected by her remarks. Reflecting on the incident, Jones acknowledged, “I have reflected deeply on this and I wholly accept the need to take greater care with my language at all times.”
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, characterized Jones’s use of the slur as “a pretty minor offence,” suggesting that the consequences she faced were disproportionate. He remarked, “Compared to what happens in public life and the mistakes that people make in their everyday lives what she’s done is a pretty minor offence. Now she’s been quite harshly punished for it.” Farage further claimed that the word “colloquially probably was meant in a nice way 20 years ago,” though he admitted that Jones had “absolutely made a mistake.” However, community leaders strongly disagreed with this downplaying of harm. Shirley Au-Yeung, founder and CEO of CIWA, described the comment as “very upsetting, especially coming from a politician,” stressing the responsibility of public figures to be conscious of the damage caused by such language. She said, “We don’t want to live in a society where racially derogatory language is normalised or dismissed.”
The incident dates back to August 2023, when Jones, at the time a Conservative Member of the Senedd, used the slur in a WhatsApp group chat discussing TikTok and concerns about potential Chinese government espionage. Jones, who switched allegiance to Reform UK in July and represents South Wales East, also insulted a former staff member with derogatory terms in the same chat. According to the 2021 census data, around 14,000 residents in Wales identify as ethnically Chinese, with Swansea holding the highest Chinese population outside Cardiff. Academic Yan Wu from Swansea University outlined the history of Chinese immigration to the UK in three phases since World War II: post-war labor migration, educational migration during the late 1970s, and a more diverse influx from 2000 onwards, including political dissidents and migrants from Hong Kong. Community advocates highlighted that many ethnically Chinese Welsh individuals feel their identity is frequently questioned due to their appearance, which compounds the impact of such racist language.
Voicing the community’s frustration, Foo Seng from CIWA expressed how the use of the offensive term signals acceptance of racism toward Chinese people, calling the emotional impact “difficult to express” but “demeaning.” Author Angela Hui reflected on how such language “cuts to the core” of East and Southeast Asian individuals in the UK and fosters an environment where hurtful words are dismissed as harmless banter. Hui urged for a more active stance against racism, stating, “We should be actively calling out racism because it is wrong, no matter who it’s aimed at.” Meanwhile, Shirley Au-Yeung noted that while Jones may have found the consequences challenging, it remains critical to recognize how deeply the Chinese community is affected by negative language in their daily lives. CIWA expressed hope that the recent actions and dialogue around this incident will foster education and greater awareness, ultimately leading to a decline in the use of racist language. They also welcomed an opportunity to engage with the Senedd to discuss the broader cultural issues that allowed such language to arise
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