Reform's only Senedd member faces 14-day ban over racial slur
Laura Anne Jones, who defected from the Conservatives earlier this year, used a slur about Chinese people in a WhatsApp group
Last updated 12th Nov 2025
Reform's only member of the Welsh Parliament faces a two-week ban from the Senedd over a racial slur she used in an exchange of messages.
The Senedd's standards committee has recommended Laura Anne Jones, who defected from the Conservatives earlier this year, is given a 14-day ban from the Siambr (Senedd debating chamber) over the remarks.
MSs will have to rubber stamp the suspension next week.
Ms Jones used a slur about Chinese people in a WhatsApp group, during a discussion of the Chinese-owned app TikTok in August 2023.
"No * spies for me," she said in the group.
She has previously apologised for the remark but the Senedd standards committee said her conduct "fell far below the standards expected" of an MS.
In its report, members of the committee said: "The committee is clear that inappropriate and offensive comments have no place in our Senedd, or society more widely.
"These messages were contained within an office group WhatsApp chat, rather than a public forum. However, the code is clear that it applies to Members at all times."
The committee also looked into allegations that Ms Jones had fraudulently made false expenses claims but found "no breach of the code of conduct" in relation to that.
In a statement released after the committee's report was published, the Reform Senedd member said: "I am delighted to have finally been cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to the malicious accusation of fraudulent activity.
"I am now looking forward to drawing a line under this after nearly two years of being hounded over it, and the detrimental impact that it has on both me and my young family."
She added: "I have apologised, and I apologise again, for the regrettable comments that I made in a private message. I never meant to cause offence to anyone.
"I would like to thank both the police and Standards Commissioner for their thorough investigation, and I accept their conclusions."
The committee also ruled Ms Jones had breached the code of conduct by failing to challenge offensive comments made by a member of staff in November 2023.
During a WhatsApp exchange with Ms Jones, the employee said: "And Suella (Braverman, former Conservative home secretary) was correct in what she said too. We have two tier policing. It was clear over the weekend if your (sic) white working class you get hammered, if you're an Islamist it's all fine, spew all the hate you want."
Ms Jones did not reprimand the member of staff at the time but has since described the comments as being unacceptable.
A Reform UK Wales spokesperson said: "We thank the independent Standards Commissioner and the police for their thorough investigation and for concluding that no fraudulent activity had taken place.
"Laura has rightly apologised for her comments, made in a private WhatsApp, and has made a clear effort to make amends for these comments.
"However, it is quite clear that there is a serious issue with two-tier policing in this country, and no politician should be barred from our national Parliament for discussing this.
"It is a great shame that, because of a committee made up of only Labour, Plaid and Conservative politicians, there will be no Reform voice in the Senedd now for two weeks."
A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: "The language used was vile and completely unacceptable, and should never be used by anyone - especially those elected to represent our communities in our national parliament. It is only right the Member faces the consequences of her actions.
"The fact that Reform accepted the Member's defection following this information coming to light tells us everything you need to know about the party, whose divisive rhetoric only serves to pit our communities against each other."
A Welsh Labour spokesperson said: "This report seems to uphold the allegations against Laura Anne Jones. Her choice of language is unacceptable.
"This sort of divisive rhetoric has no place in Wales and stands in stark contrast to the values of the Welsh public.
"She made these comments when she was a Conservative, but we've seen in Caerphilly that the same sort of language is part of the Reform UK playbook.
"When she ditched the failing Welsh Conservatives for Nigel Farage's rebranded Tory outfit, Farage claimed he was confident the allegations would 'all go away'.
"Well, they haven't gone away. So what's Farage going to do about it?"