Restore Britain councillor Owain Clatworthy has defended Russell Brand following his rape and sexual assault convictions, prompting criticism from Bridgend council leaders and questions about how his remarks relate to the party’s published women’s safety policies.
Owain Clatworthy, who represents Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr on Bridgend County Borough Council, described Brand’s trial as a political and religious persecution. The council’s official councillor register confirms that Clatworthy is a Restore Britain representative.
What did Owain Clatworthy say about Russell Brand?
Following the jury’s verdict on Thursday 5 November 2026, Clatworthy wrote on social media that Britain had a “corrupt TWO-TIER” justice system. He described the case as a “witch hunt” and suggested Brand had been targeted after challenging establishment narratives about Covid and embracing Christianity. The message ended: “Stay strong, Russell.”
Clatworthy also suggested that historical allegations had been brought to court to silence Brand, referring to a “show trial”. His remarks were reported by LBC on 6 November and later by BBC Wales. These are Clatworthy’s assertions, not findings made by the court.
In another post, he claimed that the reaction would have been different if Brand were Muslim or an undocumented migrant. He offered no comparative court evidence in the statements reported to substantiate that argument.
What did the court actually decide?
On 5 November, a jury at Southwark Crown Court unanimously convicted Brand of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, relating to offences against four women between 2004 and 2009. He was acquitted of two further rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault. Brand denied the charges and maintained that his sexual encounters were consensual.
On Monday 9 November, Mr Justice Joel Bennathan sentenced Brand, 51, to 10 years and six months in prison. The Crown Prosecution Service and Metropolitan Police confirmed the sentence. F4N has separately covered the verdict and the sentencing.
The distinction matters: four charges resulted in convictions, three did not. The acquittals must be respected, just as the guilty verdicts must be accurately reported.
Bridgend council leaders reject the councillor’s remarks
On 6 November, the leaders of Bridgend council’s political groups issued a joint statement following complaints about Clatworthy’s social media posts. The signatories were council leader John Spanswick, Independents leader Amanda Williams and Democratic Alliance leader Ross Penhale-Thomas.
The leaders said they “unequivocally reject” the comments and stand with victims and survivors of sexual abuse. They reaffirmed their respect for the judicial process and said the councillor’s statements did not represent the council’s views or values. The full statement was reported by Nation.Cymru.
The council said complaints were being directed to the appropriate process because the authority itself does not have the power to investigate them. Reporting a complaint is not the same as establishing that a standards breach has occurred.
In further comments reported on 10 November, deputy council leader Jane Gebbie, who has spoken publicly about experiencing abuse, questioned the message sent to survivors when an elected representative openly supports somebody convicted of sexual offences.
How does this relate to Restore Britain’s women’s safety policies?
Restore Britain’s “Make Britain Safe Again” policy page explicitly raises violence against women. It proposes allowing women to carry pepper spray for self-defence, tackling organised sexual exploitation and requiring CCTV in taxis. The party frames several of those proposals around immigration and its law-and-order agenda; those are the party’s claims and proposals, not independent findings about the causes of sexual violence.
That creates a question of consistency between the public priorities promoted by the party and the position taken by one of its elected councillors. Clatworthy’s comments are his own. They should not automatically be presented as an official Restore Britain policy or endorsement of Brand.
BBC Wales reported on 10 November that it had approached both Clatworthy and Restore Britain for comment. F4N has not independently established whether the party has subsequently issued a formal statement specifically addressing his defence of Brand.
Is there evidence that Brand was prosecuted for his beliefs?
The evidence published by investigators does not establish the political or religious motivation alleged by Clatworthy. The Metropolitan Police account of the case says officers began their investigation following reports that emerged after a joint media investigation in September 2023. Women who did not know one another contacted the police.
Detectives traced more than 100 witnesses, took more than 400 witness statements and reviewed over 1,400 documents. Those figures describe the investigation as a whole, not the number of witnesses or documents presented to the jury. Prosecutors brought charges, evidence was tested at trial and a jury returned the verdicts.
Questioning a verdict, criticising the justice system or arguing for legal reform is legitimate public debate. But alleging that a particular prosecution was orchestrated to punish somebody for religious or political beliefs requires evidence. The councillor’s social media post did not supply such evidence.
What remains unanswered?
The immediate questions are whether Clatworthy stands by his claims following Brand’s sentence, whether Restore Britain formally supports or rejects those claims, and what outcome, if any, follows the complaints referred to by Bridgend council. None of those questions alters the verdicts reached by the jury.
Sources
- Crown Prosecution Service: Brand’s convictions, 5 November 2026
- Crown Prosecution Service: sentencing, 9 November 2026
- Metropolitan Police: investigation and verdict
- Bridgend council: Owain Clatworthy’s official profile
- Restore Britain: law, order and women’s safety policies
- Nation.Cymru: Bridgend group leaders’ statement, 7 November 2026
- LBC: Clatworthy’s posts, 6 November 2026
