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Caerphilly County Borough Council’s leader has accused Plaid Cymru leadership of accepting xenophobia within its ranks.

A complaint against the council’s opposition leader, Cllr Lindsay Whittle, is being investigated by Plaid Cymru officials.

On August 31, council leader Sean Morgan wrote to Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price. He questioned whether Cllr Whittle should remain as Caerphilly’s Plaid Cymru group leader due to his engagement with an anti-English social media post by a fellow party member.

Cllr Whittle, who represents Penyrheol, had reacted with a love heart to Cllr Jon Scriven’s – now viral – Facebook post.

In the letter, Cllr Morgan said: “I would suggest that Cllr Whittle, as a long-standing councillor and former assembly member, should have known that endorsing such a post would likely bring his actions into question.

“Can I therefore ask you; Do you endorse these actions by Cllr Whittle? If you do not, are you going to be taking any actions against him, or are you happy to have such a person leading a council group under the Plaid Cymru banner?”

Following a lack of response from the party leader, Cllr Morgan made the letter public on September 28.

He said: “As the Plaid Cymru leadership now seems to accept xenophobia within its ranks, I will now make this an open letter as it may be of some public interest.”

Mr Price responded to the letter within two hours of its publication, and confirmed that Cllr Morgan’s complaint against Cllr Whittle would go through the party’s membership, discipline and standards process.

Plaid Cymru has refused to comment on Cllr Whittle’s current position in the party.

A spokesperson for the party did state that the investigation into Cllr Scriven was still ongoing.