Public office candidate’s castration calls for news reader a cause for concern

A MAN running for public office in Swansea said he had no regrets about saying on social media that if ever a broadcaster needed castration, Sky News’s Adam Boulton would be his first choice.

Stan Robinson was reacting to an interview in which Mr Boulton cut off former Metropolitan Police chief Kevin Hurley.

Mr Hurley had alleged, among other things, that figures in the Black Lives Matter movement were involved in a misinformation campaign to “destabilise and disrupt” society.

Mr Boulton later made it clear that the interview had ended because of automatic cut-offs for advertisement breaks and bulletins, not for any other reason.

Swansea man Mr Robinson, who is running as an independent in a Swansea Council by-election, said on Facebook: “If ever a broadcaster needed castration with a rust (sic) blade – Boulton would be my first choice.”

Two days later, on June 28, Mr Robinson re-posted an online news article which inaccurately claimed a Muslim terrorist was responsible for the stabbing of two people in London.

Mr Robinson’s post said: “Do you think GOVERNMENT & MSM are keeping the threat of Terrorists quiet?”

MSM is an abbreviation for mainstream media.

The Metropolitan Police made no mention of any suspected Muslim or terrorist involvement in the stabbing incident at the time, and said it was not being treated as a hate crime.

The force said it understood that the two victims and the suspect, who was arrested, were Romanian nationals.

Several news outlets reported both the incident and the Met Police’s comments.

A 33-year-old Romanian is due to appear in court in London charged with one count of grievous bodily harm with intent and one count of actual bodily harm.

The Local Democracy Reporter Service also asked Mr Robinson about a recent Facebook post which included a Daily Telegraph story headlined, Half of UK’s imported Covid-19 infections in June are from Pakistan.

Above it, Mr Robinson wrote: “So 50% of CORONAVIRUS is imported from Pakistan and 90% Child Groomers….Can someone tell me why we still have links?”

Last month he posted a photo of comedy duo Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett when they were dressed up as minstrels, with darkened faces, and wrote: “Today the Two Ronnie’s (sic) have been exhumed and will stand trial for Racism Offences.”

Asked to comment on the Facebook posts, Mr Robinson said: “I have no regrets as all of the articles refer to the hysterical and irresponsible MSM coverage taking place both in the United States – United Kingdom and in Swansea in particular.

“Accurate reporting appears not to be a requirement in journalism today.”

He added: “Anyone who knows me also knows you need a good sense of humour, hence the Two Ronnies – and the one they did miss out was the Don’t Mention the War sketch from Fawlty Towers.”

Mr Robinson has been campaigning against Swansea Council’s decision to review symbols and street names with links to slavery.

Decorated soldier and former governor of Trinidad, Sir Thomas Picton, is in the frame as his surname prefixes an arcade, lane and terrace in Swansea.

Retired engineer Mr Robinson, 58, of Wind Street, said he felt it was wrong to judge a historical figure by today’s standards.

Pembrokeshire-born Picton served under the Duke of Wellington for many years and died after launching a bayonet attack at advancing French troops at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Statues in Carmarthen, Cardiff and St Paul’s Cathedral commemorate his death.

More than a decade earlier, while overseeing Trinidad, plantation and slave owner Picton authorised the torture of a 14-year-old mixed-race girl accused of stealing.

In a video posted on YouTube by a group called Leavers of Swansea, Mr Robinson gave a stern defence of Picton.

He spoke about the infamous Trinidad incident and subsequent trial, saying Picton had authorised the use of torture of “a person”.

The by-election for Swansea’s Castle ward was due to take place in April this year but was has been postponed due to the coronavirus.

Council leader Rob Stewart has been critical of Mr Robinson, who in turn claimed the Swansea Labour leader had been vetting his Facebook account.

Mr Robinson has hit back at Cllr Stewart.

He said he encouraged free speech.