Abolish hopeful defends golliwogs in ‘race’ blog
ACANDIDATE for the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party defended golliwogs and likened the Black Lives Matter movement to the Ku Klux Klan and neoNazis.
James Cole, the party’s candidate in Swansea West, wrote a blog which stated: “Any one who sees a Golliwog toy other than a child toy is rather stupid in my opinion!
“As a child I slept with my toy Golly Charlie every night and I loved him.
“The Racist [sic] are the people who personally perceive offence in the smallest things and use shades to define people!
“Not all White [sic] people are bad nor all black or brown [sic] people are bad!
“The far left PC ideology would have you believe that of course as divisions in nations is the way that they gain control and power!”
On another occasion he wrote: “It’s time to condemn all hate groups”, beneath which he reproduced the logos of the left-wing group Antifa, the Ku Klux Klan and Black Lives Matter, as well as the Nazi swastika symbol.
A spokesman for the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party did not wish to comment on Mr Cole’s views about golliwogs, but said: “We agree with James’ conclusion that it is time to condemn ‘all hate groups’ including the insidious nationalist separatists that are so prominent here in Wales, with their rabid Anglophobia and hatred of our neighbours in England.”
It is understood that since agreeing to stand for Abolish in Swansea West Mr Cole has got a job working on a boat, is largely incommunicado and will not be actively campaigning for a significant chunk of the election period.
He has posted on Facebook to say that he will be living offshore but as he had been out of work for over a year he had little choice.
Labour’s Alun Davies, who is facing a challenge from Abolish in Blaenau Gwent, which he has represented at the Senedd since 2011, said: “Abolish has always been soft on racists and racism – and that is demonstrated by their failure to condemn comments that many people will see as offensive.
“My experience of them is that they toxify public debate. While they have a right to raise questions about Wales’ constitutional status, they do not have the right to create space for people whose priority is hatred and discrimination.”
Separately, Abolish party’s candidate in Cynon Valley is a former Ukip candidate who was criticised for making Islamophobic and racist comments in a leaflet.
In 2014, when Martyn Ford was campaigning as Ukip’s General Election candidate in Swansea West, he distributed a leaflet which said: “Islamic terror. Abuse of our children. The consequence of multiculturalism.”
It went on to quote critical remarks made by Mr Ford about Muslims, immigration and the “political elite”.
Ukip repudiated the leaflet and gave Mr Ford a “final warning”, but he stood in the 2015 election, coming third with 4,744 votes.
Former Labour Secretary of State for Wales Lord Hain told us last month: “This man is not a fit and proper Senedd candidate.
“He’s got a track record of Islamophobia, racism and flirtation with extreme ideas that are repugnant to Wales’ political culture, values and respect for human rights.
“It tells us that there are all sorts of flotsam and jetsam in the Abolish party. If they want to pursue the abolition of the Senedd they are entitled to argue their case, but not to do so with these type of vile racist and Islamophobic prejudices.”