Reform UK MP Lee Anderson has fumed on social media about the Welsh government’s plan to tackle racism in the country.
New, admittedly bizarre proposals included in an anti-racism report suggest ‘dog-free areas’ should be introduced in green spaces to make people feel more welcome.
Contributors to the study, including minority ethnic people who live in the North Wales region, highlighted barriers to settling which include a lack of access to green spaces.
The report suggested that dog-free zones could aid inclusion and help tackle racism, although it does not explain why.
Reacting to the news on X, Lee Anderson described the Welsh government as “barking mad” and advised owners of racist dogs to stay away from Wales.
Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives – the largest opposition party in the Senedd – also blasted the findings, calling it “outdated virtue-signalling nonsense”.
He said it is “completely out of touch with the needs of the people of Wales”.
“Labour is stuck on yesterday’s thinking, the kind that is being roundly rejected globally,” he added.
A Welsh government spokesperson said it is “committed to creating an anti-racist nation by 2030”.
“Our anti-racist Wales action plan is built on the values of anti-racism and calls for zero tolerance of all racial inequality,” they added.
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