Reform politician says 'get used to it' after Sudanese asylum comments spark row

A senior Reform MS has told political rivals to "get used to it", after one of his party's MSs was accused of "outright racism" when he told the Senedd that attacks from Sudanese asylum seekers were "inevitable".

Plaid Cymru accused Reform MS Joe Martin of breaching Senedd rules with his remarks in first minister's questions on Tuesday, in a complaint to the presiding officer Huw Irranca-Davies.

In the Senedd on Wednesday, Irranca-Davies appeared to indirectly criticise Martin's comments, asking MSs to avoid language that has "the potential to inflame debate".

Reform's chief whip, Llŷr Powell, said he heard nothing that went over the line and added: "Get used to it, it's the new norm."

Despite Plaid's complaint, a Senedd spokesperson said there was no breach committed by Joe Martin.

However, BBC Wales understands that the presiding officer's comments can be construed as a final warning to all members.

Joe Martin has been approached for comment.

In a question about the Welsh government's Nation of Sanctuary policy, Joe Martin made a series of allegations about Sudanese asylum seekers during first minister's questions on Tuesday.

He raised a recent attack in Belfast, for which a Sudanese man has been arrested and who appeared in court earlier this month, and the murder of Rhiannon Whyte by a Sudanese asylum seeker.

He asked the first minister what he would do "to make sure that when the next inevitable attack happens, it doesn't take place in Wales".

Dan Thomas, Reform's Welsh leader, nodded as Martin made his contribution, but the remarks were greeted with gasps from Plaid Cymru and Labour members.

In response, the First Minister, Rhun ap Iorwerth, said he thought the Senedd would "have to get used to this kind of contribution", and accused the Reform MS of trying to "drive wedges between communities".

Labour's Shav Taj was almost in tears in an emotional speech where she raised her own Pakistani heritage, and called the Reform speech "disturbing".

But the Welsh Conservatives' Sam Rowlands said it was "right" for politicians in the Senedd "to ask for assurances from its government as to the safeguarding arrangements".

Reform's Powell said if there was an incident like Plaid described then the presiding officer, also known as the Llywydd, "would have dealt with it there and then".

He said it was "bad form" to "put the spotlight on the Llywydd like this by leaking it to the press".

He added: "I was sitting in the chamber, Joe Martin was standing behind me. I didn't hear anything I thought went over the line.

"Everyone who voted for Reform knew what we were coming in to do. I was talking about the Nation of Sanctuary during the election, Joe Martin was talking about the Nation of Sanctuary in the chamber.

"Now I've seen a lot of things coming out from the other parties, in my opinion: 'get used to it, it's the new norm' are the words I use."

In a letter to the presiding officer, Plaid Cymru's minister for government business Heledd Fychan said the remarks were "dangerous and derogatory" which "brought the Senedd into disrepute".

Fychan, whose role is also known as the Trefnydd, added she would "always deal with instances of outright racism with the utmost seriousness and have written to the Llywydd seeking an urgent ruling on what I believe to be a serious and clear breach of Standing Orders".

It is understood Plaid have argued Martin broke rules relating to discourteous or unbecoming conduct, and using disorderly, discriminatory or offensive language, or language which distracts from the dignity of the Senedd.

At the start of Senedd proceedings on Wednesday, Irranca-Davies said: "Robust disagreement is part of democratic debate, but it must always be grounded in respect and we must avoid using language that has the potential to inflame debate or to increase tensions.

"I expect, as Llywydd, that members at all times conduct themselves in a way that promotes respect for this Senedd and that extends respect and courtesy to all other members and to everyone in our society."