What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A Tory MP told an autistic man not to comment on public affairs due to his mental health issues.

Insensitive Guto Bebb also dismissed Dylan Barlow’s Asperger’s syndrome as a “sob story” in a series of emails after his constituent raised questions on foreign matters.

The MP for Aberconwy, North Wales, wrote: “If you have mental health issues then you should possibly refrain from commenting in the public domain since it might create problems for you.”

Mr Barlow, 27, later said the MP was living “in the dark ages” and fumed: “We live in an age of free speech and for a politician to believe otherwise, goes to show the problems we face in our daily struggles.”

Mary Wimbury, Labour’s general election candidate for Aberconwy, said the Tory MP’s comments were inexcusable.

She said: “This lack of courtesy and respect towards constituents is clearly an inappropriate way for any MP to behave - he should think long and hard about his future behaviour.”

Mr Bebb denied his comments were derogatory.

He said: “If Dylan claims that some of his online comments should be understood in the context of his mental health issues then I think it was a generous piece of advice for him to think twice before he posts such comments.

“I do have a close family history of mental health issues and find the idea that I would be derogatory of such an illness highly offensive.”