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A Tory politician in the United Kingdom is under investigation for allegedly making racially derogatory statements in a leaked audio recording.
Pembrokeshire Council member Andrew Edwards is accused of saying:
“All White men should have a Black slave."
Edwards also claimed Black people are of “lower class” than White people.
The audio clip—which is only 16 seconds long—was sent to Head of Law and Governance at Pembrokeshire County Council Rhian Young. She believed it to be Edwards and recommended an investigation be started by his own party—the Conservative Party which is commonly referred to as the Tories.
You can hear the audio for yourself below.
\u201cThis is Andrew Edwards, a #Tory councilor in Pembrokeshire, saying: "I think all white men should have a black man as a slave or black woman as a slave, you know. There's nothing wrong with skin colour, it's just that they're lower class than us white people". 1/\u201d— Loganpool \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f\u2764\ufe0f\ud83d\udda4\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f (@Loganpool \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f\u2764\ufe0f\ud83d\udda4\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f) 1681309249
Conservative councilor Edwards also self-referred the allegations against him to the Public Services Ombudsman and enlisted the support of an independent party to look into the audio clip. Edwards also deactivated Edwards his media accounts and declined to speak to the media.
The audio recording has received widespread condemnation, with many calling for Edwards to be removed from his positions as councilor, magistrate, and school governor.
Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies in the Welsh Parliament described the remarks as “disgraceful” and “abhorrent,” adding that they are “not shared by the Welsh Conservatives.”
The views expressed on the recording were also called “disgusting” by the opposition party representative, who stated that racism has "no place in society, let alone in the views expressed by an elected member on Pembrokeshire County Council."
Many decried Edwards' remarks.
\u201c@lorrainemking @CounsellingSam He's a magistrate. Any Black person who has been ruled against while before him in court now has a solid case for appeal.\u201d— Lorraine King (@Lorraine King) 1681295390
\u201c@lorrainemking It\u2019s disgusting that you have to live with this out there, the racism I\u2019m seeing recently is off the scale.\u201d— Lorraine King (@Lorraine King) 1681295390
\u201c@lorrainemking Immediate suspension as councillor too. He should also be suspended as a Magistrate\u2026 his racism clearly a bias in decision making.\u201d— Lorraine King (@Lorraine King) 1681295390
\u201c@lorrainemking There should be a review of all cases he presided as a magistrate in which the defendants were black.\u201d— Lorraine King (@Lorraine King) 1681295390
\u201c@SkyNews Let u in on a little secret, he is not the only one. His comments are those of someone comfortable with their audience. Should be chucked in the bin\u201d— Sky News (@Sky News) 1681388294
\u201c@SkyNews He needs to be kicked out\u201d— Sky News (@Sky News) 1681388294
\u201c@SkyNews A racist Tory - colour me shocked; not!\u201d— Sky News (@Sky News) 1681388294
\u201c@lorrainemking He should be immediately suspended and never allowed in any position of authority or responsibility again. Horrific.\u201d— Lorraine King (@Lorraine King) 1681295390
Assuming the ombudsman takes up the case, the investigation is likely to continue for approximately six weeks.
In the event that the voice on the audio is indeed that of Edwards, he would be deemed ineligible for holding the office, required to vacate his seat, and barred from assuming any public office for the next five years.
It remains uncertain whether this decision would have any bearing on his other roles and responsibilities.