Politician slammed for saying people on benefits should be 'put down'

The politician is in hot water after her Facebook comments emerged. Photo / Facebook

A politician has been slammed after social media posts surfaced in which she said people on a reality television show about receiving benefits from the government need "putting down".

Francesca O'Brien is vying for a marginal seat in Wales for the Conservative Party but her campaign has been thrown off after a number of her offensive comments were revealed by The Guardian.

In since deleted posts written in 2014 on Facebook, Ms O'Brien said: "Benefit Street..anyone else watching this?? Wow, these people are unreal!!!"

When replying to a friend's comment she wrote: "My blood is boiling, these people need putting down."

She also endorsed a friend's suggestion to "twat a tramp Tuesday" to "take your batts (sic) to the streets".

When contacted by The Guardian, the 32-year-old defended the comments as being "off the cuff".

The politician's Labour rival Tonia Antoniazzi holds the seat by just 3000 votes but is now likely to retain the position.

Ms Antoniazzi said she was dismayed by the comments.

"These are disappointing comments from Francesca, and I'm sure lots of people will find them really insensitive," she said, as reported by the newspaper.

The politician has been slammed for her comments. Photo / Facebook

"Much of the work of an MP is helping people, who through no fault of their own, find themselves in difficult situations.

"This lack of empathy should worry anyone who isn't born with a silver spoon in their mouth."

The shadow education secretary, Angela Rayner, called for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to sack Mrs O'Brien as a candidate.

"This is absolutely disgusting and reveals the cruelty at the heart of the Tories' benefits cuts. Universal credit was deliberately designed to punish people who are out of work," she said.

"Many of us have relied on social security support at some point in our lives and it is nothing to be ashamed of. This person is not fit to be an MP and Boris Johnson should remove her as a candidate."

When the candidate wrote that people on the show Benefits Street need "putting down", a friend of hers replied: "and I'm the man for the job and tomorrow is twat a tramp Tuesday take your batts to the streets lol".

They also said they had "just swam 1000m and I cant move so I might have to just shout abuse."

In reply, Mrs O'Brien wrote: "I'm liking that idea… haha, made me laugh!"