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44 minutes ago Daniel Davies Wales political correspondent Senedd Cymru Helen Jenner says free speech means little if it only applies to opinions we agree with Reform's leader in Wales says she stands "firmly" by one of her Senedd members who was banned from speaking in the parliament for claiming white people are being "replaced" in the UK. On Tuesday the Senedd's Presiding Officer Huw Irranca-Davies said Martin's remarks were "unnecessarily provocative and deliberately offensive". In a statement on social media on Wednesday morning, Jenner said: "Whatever your political views, nobody elected to the Senedd should be silenced simply because others disagree with what they have to say." Jenner said: "Freedom of speech is a fundamental part of our democracy.
It means very little if it only applies to opinions we agree with. "We cannot allow the Senedd to become a place where challenging views are shut down." Martin was also backed by the leader of right-wing party Restore Britain, Rupert Lowe. On X, he said the Welsh Parliament should be "shut down" if it was "going to shut down legitimate debate around demographic security and immigration".
Martin's Caerdydd Penarth constituency includes some of Wales' most ethnically diverse communities. Senedd Cymru Joe Martin was told he would not be called to speak until he apologises He asked for a Welsh government statement on the "demographic replacement of white British people" during business questions, when Senedd members are free to raise issues they choose. Business Minister Heledd Fychan immediately asked the presiding officer whether the remarks were within the Senedd's standing orders - a set of rules that govern conduct in the chamber.
Standing orders give the presiding officer discretion to decide if contributions to plenary sessions - meetings of the full Senedd - use "discriminatory or offensive language". Delivering his ruling later, Irranca-Davies said: "Until I receive a clear indication that the member understands the boundaries of acceptable parliamentary conduct and apologises to the Siambr [chamber], we will not be calling him to speak." Senedd officials confirmed an apology would have to be made in the chamber during a plenary session. The ruling does not cover committees.
Martin is a member of the Senedd's Equality, Human Rights and Social Justice Committee. Irranca-Davies pointed out it was not the first time he has rebuked Martin. In September, he said Martin had made offensive remarks about surgeons working in the Welsh NHS gender service .
Plaid Cymru MS Marc Jones said Martin should apologise "for the constant harm and fear he causes among our communities". In the 2021 census, 93.8% of people in Wales identified as white, down from 95.6% a decade earlier. The proportion identifying as Asian, Asian Welsh or Asian British, the next highest group in the survey, rose from 2.3% to 2.9%.
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Source: BBC
