Welsh Govt minister to take break from social media following torrent of online abuse

A Welsh government minister has said he will take a break from social media during Senedd's summer break after suffering a torrent of threatening and abusive comments online.

Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters has faced increasing harassment online and in person since the announcement that the UK Home Office plans to accommodate asylum seekers in a hotel in his constituency.

This week anti-immigrant groups and local residents have gathered outside Llanelli's Stradey Park hotel to protest the arrival of around 200 asylum seekers.

On Sunday, police were called to the hotel and several arrests were made during a demonstration there; some protesters are still camped out outside the hotel today.

Last week, Carmarthenshire County Council lost a bid to a High Court injunction to temporarily block the Home Office's plans.

Today, Mr. Waters posted a social media post that included a screenshot of a comment sent to him via Facebook.

The commenter wrote: “He really won't care until one of his family members is mugged or his house is attacked like the French politicians. You reap what you sow, Mr. Waters."

Alongside the screenshot, Labor MS wrote: “I'm going to take a break from social media for the summer.

“Messages like the following is one of the reasons why I will not join the protests outside the hotel.

“Nía [Griffith MP] and I continue to press the Home Office to reconsider. My team and I will continue to work hard and you can email me at Lee.Waters@Senedd.Wales."

Strain

In another post on Twitter, Waters said: “Finishes tomorrow. I'm sure I remember my school reports being more mixed than this.

Alongside the tweet was a screenshot that included a series of abusive comments left on his Facebook page, one of which described him as "the most hated idiot in Wales."

Another comment read: "Nobody likes you because you're full of shit."

Hotel

Waters has said he believes the hotel is the "wrong site and the wrong plan" and that the responsibility "lies solely with the UK government".

Llanelli MS has been using his social media accounts to discuss concerns with locals and answer questions from his constituents about plans for the hotel.

"Hectic"

The deputy climate change minister said any protests should not be in Llanelli, but "outside the Home Office in London."

In May, Waters announced that he would begin blocking some accounts on Facebook because other social media users treated him like a "punching bag."

In June, a video of the Welsh Government minister circulated online be harassed on the street by a former organizer of a far-right political party who seemed unhappy with the UK Government's plans for the Llanelli Hotel.

The altercation occurred while Mr Waters was knocking on doors in Llanelli to discuss concerns about the hotel with locals; he told Nation.Cymru that the incident had "shaken" him.