No Apology From (English) Welsh Nationalist Who Compared English To Nazis

A Welsh nationalist candidate says he has no regrets about comparing some English residents of Wales to the Nazis.

Mike Parker, Plaid Cymru candidate for Ceredigion, wrote in a magazine that some parts of Wales were inhabited by “gun-toting Final Solution crackpots”, the BBC reports.

In an article for Planet magazine called ‘Loaded Dice’ Mr Parker wrote that ‘Racial prejudice is common among English people who settled in Wales’ and that many English people were ‘out and out racists’.

The candidate, who is originally from Kidderminster, said English people moved to Wales to escape multiculturalism in more urban areas of England. According to the latest census figures, the population of Ceredigion is 99.5 per cent white.

While admitting that he would not use such a phrase now, as he was “hopefully wiser”, he said there was nothing to apologise for.

Instead he defended his remarks, ironically saying “Racism should never be ignored nor accepted, and should always be challenged and tackled”.

Political opponents have urged Plaid to replace Mr Parker as its candidate for the constituency; one they are hoping to win back from the Welsh Liberal Democrats after losing it in the general election of 2005.

Huw Thomas, the Labour candidate for the constituency, said “There should be no place in our politics or our society for such divisive and hateful language.”

And Conservative candidate Henrietta Hensher called the comments “concerning” saying “Many people do move to Wales from all corners of our United Kingdom and would be horrified to be described as ‘Nazis’. ”

“What he’s actually done is tarnish a section of the population within Wales as a whole, suggesting that they are racist.”

And she called on Plaid Cymru to “fully investigate the comments made by Mike Parker.”

Welsh Liberal Democrat AM Peter Black called on Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood to “show some leadership” and demand a “full public apology” saying “Either he withdraws these remarks or else she needs to explain whether he is representing Plaid Cymru policy.”

And UKIP’s candidate Gethin James said it showed a “double standard in Welsh politics.”

“If this comment had come from a UKIP candidate, he would be gone by now, no matter how long ago it was made. The fact they are justifying the comment as it was made 14 years ago is shameful.”

But the party defended their candidate’s comments, which he first made in 2001.

A spokesman said: “Plaid Cymru has always worked against those divisive forces and we’re very proud of our record in doing so.”

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