Ex-Ceredigion MP Mark Williams has hit out at the region’s MS Elin Jones after she defended the First Minister’s trip to the Qatar World Cup.
Labour’s Mark Drakeford is planning to travel to the Gulf state to ‘promote Wales’ during the tournament, a decision that was backed by Ms Jones on Twitter.
But his planned visit has attracted criticism from the Liberal Democrat’s Welsh leader Jane Dodds, its UK leader Ed Davey and now ex-MP Mark Williams.
He served as the party’s MP for Ceredigion between 2005 and 2017 until Plaid Cymru’s Ben Lake unseated him at that year’s general election.
The Liberal Democrats say Mr Drakeford risks contributing to the whitewashing of Qatar’s ‘abysmal human rights record’ and while there shouldn’t be a boycott from national teams, politicians have a duty to stay away.
Mr Williams says he was shocked that Ms Jones sought to defend Mr Drakeford’s visit.
She Tweeted: “It’s absolutely the right thing for @PrifWeinidog to go to Qatar. Our football team is there, so should he be.
“None of us wanted Qatar to host. Cheap shot by Ed Davey.
“If he wants impact, let him call on his own national team to boycott, not another nation’s representation.”
In response, Mr Williams said: “It is disappointing the politicians of all parties cannot come together on this issue.
“Ceredigion is home to Aberystwyth University and its International Relations department and many people locally care deeply about human rights.
“Not only were Elin Jones’ comments incorrect – no one has called for team Wales to boycott the event only a diplomatic boycott by politicians – but focusing on where Ed Davey lives is a cheap nationalist point.
“The Liberal Democrats will always stand up for human rights, freedom and liberty and do so without shame.
“It is unfortunate Plaid Cymru don’t feel like they could do the same on this occasion in the case of Qatar.”
In response, Ms Jones said: “It’s perfectly appropriate for the First Minister to go and support Wales at the World Cup.
“Knowing Mark Drakeford’s politics as I do, I’ve no doubt that he will use his platform at every opportunity to speak out against the abuse of human rights by the Qatari régime.
“No-one, apart from FIFA, wanted to see Qatar host any World Cup.
“However this November is huge moment for Welsh football and we shouldn’t let the location or Liberal Democrat press releases spoil that moment.
“I’ve no doubt that the Welsh team and the Red Wall will do Wales proud and I’m pleased that our country’s First Minister will be in the Red Wall singing Yma o Hyd.
“As a big football fan I’d be there myself if it wasn’t being held in Qatar.
“I’ve decided personally not to go, but I’m happy to defend the football community, the political representatives and the fans who are going and I urge them all to sing their hearts out for Cymru.”
The Liberal Democrats point to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s World Democracy Index which ranks Qatar 126 out of 167 nations - making the country an ‘authoritarian regime’.
They add that the country performs poorly on woman’s rights, with a male guardianship system still in place which means most women still need the permission of a male guardian to carry out everyday tasks.
Qatar has also hit headlines in recent years over its alleged use of foreign migrants for slave labour, including in the construction of stadiums for the tournament, which was Amnesty International branded as a form of ‘modern slavery’.
Thousands of these workers are thought to have died on the job, data obtained by the Guardian newspaper suggests.