Kathryn Kelloway, a Cardiff Tory councillor, thought it would be a good idea last night, at the end of a week of freezing temperatures, to post a picture of herself in front of the tents of homeless people in Cardiff city centre – and tweet a call for those tents to be torn down:
Kelloway’s comments provoked an outraged reaction – over two thousand at the time of writing – from Twitter users:
So much so, in fact, that a few hours later she appeared to be trying to backtrack and claim that it was a ploy to ‘raise attention of this important issue’ – and to justify her call for homeless people to be deprived of their thin protection from the elements:
Cllr Kelloway did not respond to a request for comment. However, she subsequently put out a statement that read:
The small minority of homeless people who do not use the housing provision available must be further encouraged to come indoors and engage with council services designed to help them. This will not be achieved if we send out the message that the tents can stay.
I have long wanted to raise awareness that there are enough spaces in Cardiff’s hostels, where homeless people receive fantastic support from the council and partnered charities. I have many times asked the council executive to do more to make the public aware of this and dispel the myth that rough sleepers have nowhere to go. I’m glad that my tweet has gone some way to achieving this.
Cllr Kathryn Kelloway
SKWAWKBOX comment:
How typical of the Tories to create a horrendous problem and then blame the victims. The outraged reaction has been entirely justified.
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Exacerbated by the absolute state of the ‘excuse’. F**k me.
Imagine if I said: ‘Burn down all conservative social clubs & MP’s constituency offices’
Plod’d be right on my case
…What d’ya mean it’s ‘incitement’? I only meant it’s a way for them to keep warm if the tories won’t open them up to the homeless.
Homelessness the Tories themselves have caused.
Scum! They have appalling double standards, when it comes to ex forces homeless, they are “heroes”, but unfortunates forced into homelessness through circumstance, abuse and mental illness do it on purpose because ” they just want to drink and take drugs”.
shes been suspended; https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/kathryn-kelloway-cardiff-suspended-homeless-15734902
Namaste Skwawkbox,
Curious enough – Kathryn – from French meaning ‘Pure’ – Kalloway from old Celtic meaning ‘Stone’. ‘Pure Stone’ – just like her Tory heart.
Namaste,
DN
Nasty f*t f***ing T**y t**t. “These people” FFS?
Silly c*w claims she’s “worked for homeless charities” – bullshit.
Anyone with half a brain knows homeless people wouldn’t sleep in tents if shelters were safe and didn’t exclude them for alcohol or drug problems or for having a dog.
Address the needs of the homeless people you see – not some Tory ideal of a “deserving” homeless person.
A society that doesn’t try its hardest to help the most needy first has no moral authority.
A political movement that sees the rich as the most deserving of parliamentary time, effort and favourable legislation not only has no moral authority – it’s beneath contempt and its supporters deserve to be pig food.
Yes. The suffering of the homeless and the poor in Britain under Tory austerity is magnified by the Victorian deserving poor ethic which the Tories have gleefully reinvigorated.
The middle classes can smugly donate to a food bank (which they will never have to use themselves) which in turn gives them a hit of superiority whilst reinforcing a toxic cultural narrative:
… that the working class is inherently feckless so it shouldn’t be given money. It should be offered food instead. As if livestock.
The Conservatives have changed our cultural landscape. Welcome to food bank Britain – Victorian poverty with Wi-Fi.
Loathsome beyond the pale. She isn’t a secret Fabian is she? They will take anyone.