Top councillor in racist word storm
A senior councillor was at the centre of a race storm today after using a highly derogatory term during a council meeting.
Councillor Myfanwy Alexander, Powys County Council's education and children's services chief, used the N-word in the meeting discussing access to health services in England.
The council today said she had been "severely reprimanded".
Councillor Alexander told the meeting she and a constituent called Meirion had both been told while trying to access health services in England that their names are just "a meaningless jumble of letters".
She went on to ask fellow councillors what would have happened if her constituent's name had been "Ranjit" and he had been told the same thing. She said it would have been all over the papers.
She added: "We are treated like n*****s over the border. Our language and culture is trampled on and it's a very sensitive issue. It's not our fault that we don't have a district general hospital to go to."
Councillor Alexander said on another occasion she had asked in hospital if a Welsh speaking nurse could say good morning to her father and she was told "that's fine as long as you don't mind your father being considered to be racist".
Officials at Powys County Council held a special meeting yesterday afternoon to decide what action to take after the comments were made at Tuesday night's meeting.
The leader of Powys County Council, Councillor Barry Thomas, confirmed Councillor Alexander had used the inappropriate word during a cabinet meeting about cross border health provision and that Councillor Alexander, who lives at Llanfair Caereinion and is the sister of former Plaid Cymru Assembly Member Helen Mary Jones, had been severely reprimanded.
He said: "I have severely reprimanded Councillor Alexander and referred her for equalities training. I have also referred the matter to the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales.
"Councillor Alexander apologised and told me the reason she had used the particular word was because she was referring to Maya Angelou's description of unfair health treatment in the southern states of America and that no offence was intended."
A spokesman for the Welsh Local Government Association said it would be leaving the matter in the hands of Powys County Council for the time being.
