Welsh Conservatives must discipline activist who appears to yearn for Spanish Inquisition across Europe

The Reverend Dr Felix Aubel, a Conservative Party activist who was the West Wales coordinator for the Vote Leave campaign, has tweeted: “When will today’s Christian Europe say ‘Enough is Enough’, just like the Christian Spaniards did at the end of the Middle Ages?” The tweet was in response to a Swedish Twitter user who had tweeted about immigration in the country. Dr Aubel appears to be referring to the Spanish Inquisition established in 1478. The Inquisition consisted of a state-organised pogrom predominantly targeting Jews with torture and cruel murder, for example being burned at the stake. The Alhambra Decree of 1492, commanded all Jews in Spain to convert to Catholicism or leave the country.

However the Welsh Conservative Party has issued a meek and wholly inadequate response. A spokesman told the Daily Post: “Felix Aubel’s opinions are entirely his own and are in no way representative of the views of the Welsh Conservatives. We cannot condone the use of this kind of language.”

It is not enough for the Party to distance itself from these views and Dr Aubel should be investigated according to the Party’s disciplinary process. Campaign Against Antisemitism will be raising this troubling case with the Conservative Party.

It is also extremely troubling that he is minister to five independent churches.