UKIP Wales leader condemned after tweeting meme attacking Greta Thunberg

UKIP politician and former Louis Theroux documentary subject, Neil Hamilton, has been accused of instigating a 'personal attack' on 16-year-old climate change activist Greta Thunberg.

The teenager, who has risen to prominence in 2019 thanks to her work raising awareness of climate change, has regularly come under attack for her stance on the issue, mostly from older white men.

In the midst of the record-breaking heatwave that Britain experienced on Thursday, the 70-year-old who is the leader of UKIP Wales shared a meme mocking the Swede, highlighting things that she would object to people using in such weather such as air-con and electric fans.

The meme also featured a picture of Thunberg, where her eyes had been edited to look demonic, while also asking 'Have you done anything this week that Greta might disapprove of?'

Hamilton's tweet has been largely condemned on social media with many criticising him for posting such a message about a teenage girl.

Hamilton's tweet also drew a response from the Children's Commissioner for Wales, Sally Holland, who said she was 'mortified' by the tweet and that she had written to the UKIP member to express her 'disappointment.'

Hamilton, who is the AM for mid and west Wales, responded to the criticism in a tweet that he has since deleted by stating that Thunberg is 'fair game' as she had 'adult realm of political controversy'.

Greta has very publicly entered the adult realm of political controversy.

If cabinet ministers such as Michael Gove take the opinions of this 16-year-old seriously then public criticism of her should be fair game.

Miss Thunberg is currently pushing for policies estimated to cost the UK taxpayer £1 trillion which will hit the poorest the hardest.

HT BBC

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