A local politician in the United Kingdom is being investigated following accusations that he made racially derogatory statements heard in a recently leaked audio recording.
Public outrage prompted a probe by the Pembrokeshire County Council in Wales to investigate whether Pembrokeshire Council member Andrew Edwards said, “All white men should have a Black slave.”
A 16-second audio clip published by this week by Nation Cymru allegedly captures him saying Black people are of “lower class” than white people.
The audio was sent to the monitoring officer at Pembrokeshire County Council, Rhian Young.
Young believed it to be Edwards and as a result, recommended an investigation be started by his own party.
“Nothing wrong with the skin color at all. (…) I think all white men should have a Black man as a slave or Black woman as a slave, you know,” a male voice said to be Edwards proclaims.
“There’s nothing wrong with skin color, it’s just that they’re lower class than us white people,” the remarks continued.
The Conservative Party councilor has been made aware of the audio and the Pembrokeshire County Council investigation and has taken steps to have an independent party look into the clip.
“I am aware of such serious allegations being made against me,” the representative for the Haverfordwest Prendergast ward and school governor said in a statement adding that he has self-referred the allegation to the Public Services Ombudsman.
“It is now in the hands of legal experts and the ombudsman,” Edwards said. “It would be unfair on the process for me to comment.”
While the ombudsman’s office has confirmed the self-referral was received, it did not say if it has launched a formal investigation.
A spokesperson for the council said the conservative group is aware that the councilor has enlisted the support of the Public Services Ombudsman…
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