Welsh Secretary David TC Davies reported to police over travellers' website leaflet

Welsh Secretary David TC Davies has been reported to the police over a leaflet questioning proposed websites for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

Read more

In the flyer, entitled "Gypsy and Traveller site coming to your area soon!", the Conservative MP attacked the native Labour council for a scarcity of session on its plans and requested residents of his Monmouthshire constituency: "Would you like to see a Traveller site next to your house?"

Read more

The Travelling Ahead Advocacy and Advice Service, which offers assist to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities throughout Wales, posted the leaflet on-line, calling it "unacceptable", and mentioned they'd made complaints about it to his social gathering, the Equality Commission and the police.

Read more

Politics newest: Climate activists climb PM's mansion - latest pictures

Read more

Trudy Aspinwall, a mission supervisor with the organisation, instructed Wales Online it was a "disproportionate and hostile response targeted at the race and ethnicity" of the neighborhood, which might "make them feel like they are not wanted anywhere".

Read more

But in an announcement, Mr Davies denied it was discriminatory, saying the proposed websites have been "a legitimate matter for public debate and scrutiny", and it was "entirely valid to criticise a lack of wide public consultation by a council".

Read more

He added: "I've been contacted by many upset residents on the shortness of the session and the proposed areas for the websites.

Read more

"I have also been told that many from the gypsy and traveller community are also upset at the proposed locations for the sites. This is not a criticism of the gypsy and traveller community."

Read more

Gwent Police confirmed to Sky News they have been conscious of the flyer, with Detective Inspector Steve Thomas including: "Officers are reviewing the content material of the leaflet and its affect on the gypsy and traveller and settled communities in Monmouthshire.

Read more

"We take any allegation of discrimination extremely seriously and we're committed to ensuring our communities are safe places and welcoming for all."

Read more

But a supply near Home Secretary Suella Braverman mentioned the investigation "appears to be a waste of time", including: "The police should be laser-focused on further cutting crime and not investigating legitimate public concern.

Read more

"The public wish to see police out on their streets stopping crime and catching criminals, not inspecting MPs' leaflets."

Read more

Read extra: Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities have been 'comprehensively failed', say MPs'Death threats are a way of life'

Read more

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden rejected claims the leaflet was racist, telling Sky News: "I believe that what David Davis was doing was highlighting the failure of the native Labour council to hold out a correct session on this. That is fully what individuals would count on their native members of Parliament to do.

Read more
Read more

"He's standing up for his constituents, making their case for them and I totally support his right to do that."

Read more

Shadow enterprise secretary Jonathan Reynolds mentioned he hadn't seen the leaflet, however warned in regards to the significance of language when coping with such delicate points.

Read more

He instructed Sky News: "There's a way to ask legitimate questions of your electorate and engage with them in a way which is seeking their views, and there's a time when sometimes people use language, I think, to not really engage constituents, but to try and, you know, cause alarm, cause fear and frankly use it for their own political ends.

Read more

"These are troublesome points at instances. Are they doing it sensitively? Are they doing in good religion? If they don't seem to be, they need to be criticised. If they're are, I'll give them some leeway."

Read more

Sky News has contacted Mr Davies for a remark.

Read more

Did you like this story?

Please share by clicking this button!

Visit our site and see all other available articles!

UK 247 News