REFORM”S UK's sole Senedd member said she nearly took her “own life a number of times”, as she was officially suspended for two weeks for a ‘racial slur’ and ‘offensive language’.

South Wales East MS Laura Anne Jones, who lives in Monmouth, said a two-year investigation into allegations had been a "nightmare".

A police and Senedd standards commissioner probe, which cleared her of making fraudulent expenses claims, had impacted her mental health, she said in an emotional statement.

Former Conservative Ms Jones, who was unveiled as the first Reform MS by party leader Nigel Farage at the Royal Welsh Show in July, said the probe "had a negative impact on my family, especially my children, as well as a hugely detrimental impact on my own health and mental health”, which had “taken a significant toll on me, which led me to try and drown out that noise and nearly take my own life a number of times".

"Hasten to say, I wouldn't wish what I've had to experience on my worst enemy," added Ms Jones, who apologised for the WhatsApp exchanges., where she used the phrase “Chinky” in a discussion about Chinese people, and referred to a former employee as a “w***ker”.

Standards committee chair, Labour's Hannah Blythyn, told the Senedd on Wednesday night: "The committee considers a breach of the code of conduct by any member of the Senedd a serious matter, and we are clear that inappropriate and offensive comments have no place in our Senedd or society.

"More widely, the conduct found in the commissioner's report fell far below the standards expected, and points to an office culture where there was little respect towards others or any consideration of what may be found offensive."

Ms Jones told the Senedd: “Firstly, I'd like to put on record that I fully accept the commissioner's findings in this report and thank him for a full, fair and thorough investigation.

"I welcome the the clear and welcome conclusion of both the police and Standards Commissioner clearing me of any fraudulent activity, the police stating that there was absolutely no evidence of any wrongdoing.

"As for the language that I regrettably used in the private WhatsApp messages, I would like to take this opportunity to apologise once again for that in this chamber.

"I never meant to cause any offence and would never have that intention of doing so.”

She will be able to retake her seat in the chamber on Wednesday, December 3.