Tory election candidate Francesca O’Brien apologises for saying people on Benefits Street need ‘putting down’

A Conservative general election candidate has apologised after she commented on Facebook that people on the TV show Benefits Street needed to be “put down.”

Francesca O’Brien, who is running for the Gower seat in December’s election made the disparaging comment during an episode of Channel 4’s Benefits Street in January 2014.

In the Facebook post in question following the first episode of Benefits Street five years ago, she said:

Benefit Street..anyone else watching this?? Wow, these people are unreal!!!

Tory candidate Franscesca O'Brien from the Gower Conservatives homepage (Picture: Gower & Swansea Conservatives) 

And then, responding to another Facebook comment, she said:

My blood is boiling, these people need putting down.

The Facebook post has been unearthed in light of O’Brien’s candidacy, and in a statement released on Sunday she said:

These comments were made off the cuff, a number of years ago.

However, I accept that my use of language was unacceptable and I would like to apologise for any upset I have caused.

According to the BBC, Labour called for the candidate to be dropped, but Welsh Conservative chairman Byron Davies stood by O’Brien.

The Labour press team tweeted:

It is shameful that Boris Johnson is allowing Francesca O’Brien to stand for his party in Gower. This reveals the Conservatives’ contempt for the less well off.”

The former commissioned officer with RAF Air Cadets was selected as a party candidate for Gower in October after an open primary and is set to run in the general election on 12 December.

For many, the apology wasn't enough

HT Huff Post

More: Boris Johnson refuses to reveal the naughtiest thing he's ever done in case it's 'terminally politically damaging'

More: Piers Morgan accuses John Legend of 'virtue signalling' for rewriting 'Baby it's Cold Outside' for the MeToo era