Welsh Tory accused of misogyny for GB News hair jibe
- Published
Andrew RT Davies appeared on the Farage programme on Wednesday evening
The leader of the Welsh Tories in the Senedd has been accused of "appalling misogyny" for a comment about the Welsh Parliament's presiding officer.
On GB News, Andrew RT Davies said that Elin Jones was too "busy doing her hair" to come on to the show.
The institution has been at the centre of a row after Ms Jones removed GB News from the Senedd television system.
Mr Davies said the accusation from a senior Labour minister was "desperate".
Ms Jones later criticised the Senedd Conservative leader for defending his comments.
On Wednesday night the channel's Nigel Farage programme broadcast from the Llandaff and Ely RAFA Club in Cardiff.
The show also projected an advert on to the side of the Senedd on Tuesday night.
On the programme, Mr Farage said they had invited Ms Jones on, but "we got no answer at all".
"Busy doing her hair," Mr Davies replied.
He added: "It's about control at the end of the day, because obviously they don't want any dissenting voices as they see, or alternative voice in their parliament."
GB News projected an advert on to the side of the Senedd
BBC Wales was told the Senedd had received a request for Ms Jones to appear on Farage, but the show was told she was not available.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Labour Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said, external: "This is absolutely appalling misogyny from [Andrew RT Davies], who should apologise immediately to the Llywydd."
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said Mr Davies had shown an "appalling lack of respect".
"He wears his misoginy [sic] with either pride or total lack of awareness," he added.
In a statement Mr Davies said: "This is desperate from Labour and Plaid. It's an expression used by many Welsh people, something I've said about men, women and even myself.
"If Labour and Plaid think this is today's top issue, that's up to them.
"But my focus is the Welsh people's priorities of cutting waiting lists in our Welsh NHS and scrapping Labour and Plaid's blanket 20mph speed limits."
The Welsh government has rejected the description of the 20mph speed limit change as "blanket", calling it misinformation and prefers to say the speed limit is a default.
'My curly hair has become a news story', Elin Jones said
Later, Ms Jones added on X: "My curly hair has become a news story!
"I was able to trivialise Andrew's silly, inappropriate comment. But it's not for him to do so.
"Defending it in hindsight was not the right thing to do here. I always used to say that Tories were the politest of politicians. What happened?"
Farage was filmed in Cardiff after the Welsh Parliament decided to take GB News off its internal television system - used by staff and Senedd members to follow proceedings in the Senedd and view TV channels.
A spokesperson for Ms Jones had said it followed a recent broadcast which was "deliberately offensive", referring to comments by Laurence Fox about female journalist Ava Evans.
Welsh Conservative Janet Finch-Saunders MS, who is one of the commissioners who oversee the operation of the Welsh Parliament, said it was "regrettable... that the decision to ban GB News was taken without discussion with Senedd members or even commission members".
Ms Jones has promised the issue would be discussed at a future commission meeting. Ms Finch-Saunders, who said she did not think Mr Davies' comments were misogynistic, said she will be asking for GB News to be added to the next tabled meeting on 6 November.
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