Walkout in Senedd as Reform politician accused of racism sparks second row

Members of the Senedd from Plaid Cymru, Labour and the Greens walked out of a speech by a Reform MS on Wednesday where he joked that Welsh students are unable to read, and said Indian nurses were taking Welsh jobs.

It was the second day that Joe Martin had upset members in rival parties, after Plaid had accused him of "racism" over a speech on Tuesday claiming attacks from Sudanese asylum seekers were "inevitable".

Presiding Officer Huw Irranca-Davies rebuked the MS for Caerdydd Penarth for the second of the two speeches - but the BBC heard some in Plaid believe the Senedd's figurehead should have been firmer with Martin sooner.

Earlier the party's chief whip defended Martin's speech in first minister's questions on Tuesday, telling political rivals to "get used to it".

In a Reform debate about international spending, Martin gave a speech where he mocked a list of examples of spending.

He said: "We send Uganda money to plant trees as well, because we won that competition, who can find the stupidest use of taxpayers' money"

He joked the same question was asked to "some Welsh students who had been through our underfunded education system, but we didn't get a reply because we emailed them and they couldn't read".

In response to interruptions from across the Senedd floor, he replied: "Have a look at illiteracy rates for students graduating."

Martin added it was great that nurses were being recruited from India "because it means that the Welsh people who would have otherwise become nurses can instead go on universal credit".

Plaid's Caerdydd Fynnon Taf MS Zaynub Akbar then said: "I'm going to leave this because I don't accept any of this and I don't want to be a part of it."

A Plaid source said most of the party's MSs who were able to leave did so. Mike Hedges from Labour and Welsh Green Party leader Anthony Slaughter also walked out.

In his response to the debate, the minister for the constitution, Dafydd Trystan Davies, said the debate had descended "to the level of a public house" at points.

Jason O'Connell from Reform said he was "deeply disappointed" at the walkout, which he called "shameful".

Plaid Cymru's spokesperson said the party "will not stand by as Reform UK make a mockery of our democracy and mock the communities we represent".

At the opening of the Senedd on Wednesday Irranca-Davies asked MSs to avoid language that has "the potential to inflame debate or to increase tensions", but did not initially reprimand him directly.

After the second speech from Martin, the presiding officer Irranca-Davies did reprimand him, saying: "I would