Reform Senedd member Joe Martin has accused the Welsh Government of being “anti-white” and “explicitly racist” over diversity schemes aimed at ethnic minorities. Martin, who represents Caerdydd Penarth, criticised initiatives such as a target for 20% of newly-hired government employees to be from ethnic minorities and a £5,000 golden handshake for ethnic minority students pursuing teaching careers. He argued these measures discriminate against Welsh people “in their own country.”
Martin’s Accusations in the Senedd
During a Senedd session, Martin told First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth: “The Welsh Government has a target whereby 20% of all newly-hired government employees should be from ethnic minority groups, who themselves only make up 6% of the Welsh population. It has another scheme that pays £5,000 to ethnic minority students who want to become teachers – money that isn’t available to students if they are white.”
He added: “These measures, which are themselves explicitly racist, fall under the scheme ironically named the ‘Anti-racist Wales action plan.’ Put plainly it is anti-white discrimination and the Welsh people will not sit idly by as we are racially discriminated against in our own country. First Minister, will it be your government that delivers the return of race-blind meritocracy in Wales?”
First Minister’s Response
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth responded by appearing to call on the Llywydd (Presiding Officer) to intervene, questioning whether Martin’s comments were “pushing the limits of what the Llywydd would deem acceptable in the chamber.” He said: “The member chooses to focus on the colour of skin. I would choose to focus on the fact that there are many people who don’t have opportunities because they live in poverty; because they happen to come from a background that has not made those opportunities open to them as they are to somebody as privileged as I have been.”
He continued: “That is something that I would expect to be a core value of everybody in this Senedd who believes in supporting and representing all of the people of Wales regardless of their background, regardless of the colour of their skin. It is about taking a suite of measures that we can honestly believe reflect those values that were, in many ways, the basis of the election that allowed us to have a government, of which hope was seen as a real mantra.”
Context and Previous Controversies
Joe Martin has already made headlines since being elected weeks ago over his pronouncements on the Nation of Sanctuary and international spending. There was a cross-party walkout in the Senedd over his comments in a debate on the latter issue. The diversity schemes he criticised are part of the Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Wales action plan, which aims to address racial inequalities.
