Welsh councillor resigns after saying ‘all Tories should be shot’ | Wales

The deputy leader of a Welsh council has stepped down after saying during a meeting that “all Tories should be shot”.

Ieuan Williams, an independent councillor in Anglesey, north Wales, has apologised since making the comment on Monday morning and referred himself to the council’s standards committee.

Conservative politicians have reacted angrily to his remark, including Anglesey MP Virginia Crosbie, who called it “appalling” and said she already wears a stab vest to surgeries.

Williams said in a statement: “I apologise profusely for any offence caused by my inappropriate comment.

“The remark was made at the end of an emotionally charged statement, following a presentation on poverty on Anglesey.

“I am obviously not advocating shooting anyone and have apologised to all members present at the meeting.

“I have also referred myself to the standards committee and have stood down as deputy leader and member of the executive whilst any potential investigation takes place.”

The Lligwy representative said his comment was “not about any one individual” but a reaction to hearing that food bank use on Anglesey has increased by 99% since November 2022.

He said that although he withdrew his “crass remark”, he hoped others would see the real issue was his “passion in fighting the corner of the most vulnerable in our society against a party which seems happy to forget about them”.

Crosbie told WalesOnline she was “disgusted” that Williams felt able to make such a comment and said she had been the target of “nastiness” from Plaid Cymru and other councillors since being elected in 2019.

The MP called for the council leader, Llinos Medi, to “get her house in order and stop this behaviour”.

“This is not the rough and tumble of political life, this is out-and-out hate,” she said.

“Councillor Williams knows I wear a stab vest at surgeries but still he casually remarks I and others who are Conservative should be shot.

“Two MPs have lost their lives in the last seven years and still he thinks saying such things is OK.”

Williams’ comment came almost seven years after the Labour MP Jo Cox was murdered by a white supremacist in a terrorist attack. David Amess, a Conservative MP, was killed in October 2021 by an Islamist extremist.

The Welsh Conservative shadow minister for local government, Sam Rowlands, called the comment “dreadful and completely inexcusable”.

“The left often like to virtue signal about a kinder, gentler politics but then come out with comments like this,” he said.

Isle of Anglesey county council has been contacted for comment.