Kirsty Williams: Online trolling forced me out of politics

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Kirsty Williams, once leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats and education minster in the Welsh government, has spoken about the pressure that her political career put on her and her family.

She described the online abuse she and other politicians received as "unforgivable" and said it was this level of trolling that forced her to leave politics.

When she told her daughters about her new role as chairwoman of the Cardiff and Vale health board, they said "don't do it, we can't go through this again".

Kiraty was appearing on the Fifth Floor podcast. I can't find a link to that episode, but there are some quotes in the a BBC News story:

"I didn't realise how badly it affected my family," she said, adding that once news of her new role was made public the "pack" were back online "telling everybody what a terrible person I am".

Williams said that being a politician was "no worse or better than many other jobs that people do".

"Most sane people would run a mile from putting themselves into that environment," she said, referring to the level of criticism received.

"I'm worried that it's baked in now. People who go for that job accept that this is how they're going to have to live their lives.

"It's not pleasant."

The belief that "politicians are all as bad as each other and are all in if for themselves" is endemic on the left as well as the right.

I sometimes wonder if the sea of snark and satire we now move in is good for us. After all, the one solid achievement from 94 years of Have I Got New for You has been to help Boris Johnson on his way to Downing Street.

Six of the Best 876

"This is the ideal policy – it requires no increase in public spending, but can make a real difference to the lives of low income families. We should be campaigning for this in England." Simon McGrath is delighted by Kirsty Williams' new guidance on school uniforms in Wales.

Jonathan Wallace shares his leaflet for Thursday's police and crime commissioner by-election in Northumbria.

"It’s exactly the same concerns people had when we introduced the weekend or the eight-hour workday. But the world didn’t collapse in on itself then - and it won’t now." Francois Badenhorst examines the case for a four-day working week.

Gregory H. Shill on the struggle against automobile supremacy in the USA.

"This cult of Stalker began in the USSR in the years after the film’s completion and limited release, when Stalker was the closest Soviet culture came to a punk aesthetic." Robert Bird on the later career of what is now Tarkovsky's most influential film.

Graham Appleton reviews Curlew Moon by Mary Colwell.

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"Not only are the Welsh investing in teachers, but they are also protecting rural schools. Kirsty Williams introduced a new, stronger code last week which includes a presumption against the closure of rural schools." Kirsten Johnson says we can learn a lot from the Welsh Lib Dem education secretary,

The resources of nature belong to everybody, argues an article in Progress.

Mustafa Nayyem, who helped spark Ukraine's revolution five years ago, has seen the activists of Maidan pressured, isolated, and murdered. Anna Nemtsova meets him.

Gillian Darley is puzzled that the Southbank Centre, and the Royal Festival Hall in particular, should suffer from architectural self-loathing: "Few buildings have had such a swift and transformative effect on a city. At the heart of a 27-acre bomb-site, a pale, modernist clear-glazed concert hall rose out of the rubble, to be framed by the Thames when seen across the water."

Best Foot Upwards climbs the Stiperstones, Black Rhadley and Linley Hill on a circular walk from Snailbeach.

"'People often hear voices calling for help. They are the ghosts of those killed in the 1957 Lewisham train disaster.'" Eddie Brazil is our guide to the railway ghosts of South London.

Tim Farron backs Kirsty Williams's cabinet post plan

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And he's right.

In the elections earlier this month Kirsty Williams was the only Liberal Democrat to win a seat in the Welsh Assembly.

She increased her majority over the Conservatives in Brecon and Radnor to more than 8000. It's strange to recall that the 1985 by-election, when the seat first turned Liberal, was a neck-and-neck contest with Labour. (I was there.)

Beyond Kirsty's victory, our results in Wales were universally dismal. We are firmly established as the country's fifth party - that rumbling sound you can hear is Lloyd George turning in his grave.

Though I can't find the figures, I believe we finished behind the campaign to abolish the assembly in a couple of regions.

So the opportunity for the only Lib Dem AM to take up a high-profile position like education secretary is a godsend.

The Welsh Lib Dems are holding a special conference tomorrow to vote on whether Kirsty should take up this appointment.

If they do anything other than welcome it with open arms, they are madder than Mad Ianto Ap Mad, the winner of this year's Mr Madman competition.

Before we finish, let us pause a moment to mark the defeat of Leighton Andrews, Liberal Gillingham Town fan turned Labour Cardiff City fan, in Rhondda.

Lord Bonkers' Diary: Abolishing the trolls on the Severn Bridge

What is that thump on the doormat? It is the conference issue of Liberator, complete with some fitting tributes to Simon Titley.

Which means it is time to begin another week at Bonkers Hall.

You have been warned.

Monday

I am delighted to read that the Welsh Liberal Democrats are proposing to abolish the trolls on the Severn Bridge. For many years I have been urging just this move upon them, but without any joy. “The time is not right,” said Mike German. “There are other priorities,” said Kirsty Williams. “Wibble, wibble: are both those feet mine?” said Lembit Opik.

It is certainly good news for travellers to and from the Principality. For myself, whenever obliged to cross the Severn, I obtained three billy goats from Chepstow Goats (“No ifs, no butts, good service”) and was able to ward the trolls off; others, perhaps less well prepared, have had less happy experiences.

Incidentally, I was once unable to obtain any billy goats when returning from giving a speech in Ystradgynlais and decided to improvise by summoning Nanny. I don’t know what she did to the trolls, but she certainly terrified me.

Lord Bonkers was Liberal MP for Rutland South-West 1906-10.

BBC: Kirsty Williams has not ruled out working with Labour in Wales

BBC News reports that talks are taking place to explore the possibility of a coalition government in Wales after Labour fell just short of winning a majority last week:

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams told BBC Wales she has not ruled out working with Labour.

"Welsh Liberal Democrats want there to be a stable government over the next five years and we want to concentrate on the issues we've been campaigning on, how can we strengthen the Welsh economy, how can we improve education results for our children and how can we cut waiting times.

"Whether that's part of government or opposition these will continue to be the main thrust of the work of the Welsh Liberal Democrats," she said.

Interesting, but a minority Labour administration or a deal between Labour and Plaid Cymru both look more likely.