Plaid Cymru candidate stands down over 'inappropriate' tweet
Neil RobertsA Plaid Cymru candidate for the Welsh Parliament election has stood down after an old social media message emerged where he used an offensive word to describe children.
Neil Roberts, who was standing in one of the two seats covering Cardiff, posted the message in 2021 on the platform then known as Twitter and now known as X.
Roberts said in a statement the use of the "online slang" term was "inappropriate" and he took full responsibility for it - adding he did not want it to detract from Plaid's campaign.
Dan Thomas, leader of Reform in Wales which had distributed a screenshot of the message, said Plaid leader Rhun ap Iorwerth should "give urgent clarity on whether he supports these comments".
The screenshot shows a Twitter user saying they were "against people having kids just for the sake of it," adding: "Don't have children if you're not capable of raising them."
Roberts replied to the post using an offensive term for children, saying that they were "for life not just for Christmas".
In an initial statement Roberts said the comment came from a "old defunct social media account".
"Those who are familiar with online slang terms will know that no immoral implication was meant, it was a crass attempt at humour and I regret it deeply," he said.
Plaid Cymru later issued a further statement to BBC Wales on Thursday on behalf of Roberts, which said: "Years ago, I made a comment using online slang that was inappropriate and crude.
"The language I used was wrong, and I take full responsibility for it. I apologise unreservedly for the offence and concern it has caused."
He added: "I do not want this to detract from the campaign or from the issues that matter to our community. I am therefore stepping down as a candidate with immediate effect. I wish the party and its candidates the very best in this historic campaign ahead."
His apology comes one day after Plaid Cymru candidate Oli Bradley-Hughes apologised for using sexist language and referring to illegal drug-taking on social media when he was a teenager.
Roberts was fourth on the list in the constituency of Caerdydd Penarth, which covers the west of Cardiff and the nearby town of Penarth.
Parties will have to do incredibly well to get their fourth placed candidates elected, with first and second placed candidates more likely to win under the new electoral system being used for the Senedd election in May.
