Plaid Cymru candidate deselected over Middle East social media posts

Branwen Jones

8 June 2024 at 4:35 am·2-min read

Plaid Cymru has withdrawn its support for one candidate due to social media posts about the "situation in the Middle East". Sharifah Rahman was selected as the party's Cardiff South and Penarth candidate for the upcoming general election on July 4.

But Plaid Cymru has deselected the candidate due to social media posts she had reportedly made in November of last year. The party said that the content of the social media posts "do not reflect views and values of Plaid Cymru".

The party had previously described her in a press release issued just two days ago as a "campaigner for peace and Palestinian rights".

Sharifah Rahman's name will remain on the ballot party as a Plaid Cymru candidate, but without the support of the party, as knowledge of the social media post content only recently came to light and it was too late to find a replacement.

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On the ballot paper, the candidates in the Cardiff South and Penarth will be Stephen Doughty for Labour, Ellis Smith for Conservatives, Alex Wilson for Liberal Democrats, Sharifah Rahman for Plaid Cymru, Simon Llewellyn for Reform and Anthony Slaughter for the Green Party.

Plaid leader Rhun ap Iorwerth and now de-selected party candidate Sharifah Rahman with party activists -Credit:Plaid Cymru

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In a statement, a spokesperson for the party said: "Plaid Cymru has consistently condemned both the actions of Hamas terrorists on October 7 and the subsequent horrific bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli Government. We reaffirm our calls for an immediate ceasefire, the unimpeded distribution of humanitarian aid and the cessation of arms sales to Israel.

"Plaid Cymru will continue to campaign for a just peace and a two-state solution – including the recognition of the state of Palestine, and a peaceful future for both Palestinians and Israelis. We condemn unequivocally any forms of prejudice and racism, including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia."

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