A motion aimed at tackling racism at Staffordshire County Council has been blocked by Reform UK councillors.
The move was taken following the comments of one councillor, County Coun Peter Mason. Before he was elected to the county council, he made social media posts that referred to black women in derogatory terms when discussing a statue and criticised police, calling them “politically indoctrinated British hating scum.”
He has since apologised for the comments.
The Cabinet member for strategic highways was subject to a number of complaints to the standards panel at the council but because the posts were made before he was elected, no action was taken writes local democracy reporter Jonathan Sutton.
Horninglow and Eton Parish Council has since made it clear he is no longer welcome at meetings.
Last week at the county council County Coun Philip White, leader of the Conservative group, put forward a motion that could have resulted in County Coun Mason, who represents Burton South, being stripped of his Cabinet role.
The motion would have condemned racism and committed councillors to treating all people equally.
However, it would have given party leaders the power to remove councillors from all roles within the council if they were proven to have behaved in a racist manner.
County Coun Philip White said: “When I look back to a year ago when the new Reform UK administration came into office, there were a lot of things I thought we might spend time talking about in this chamber.
“I did not expect we would spend so much time talking about racism and the behaviour of colleagues.
“It is not something I have ever wanted to talk about but it’s been necessary to do so and I hope that today gives us an opportunity to perhaps stop talking about it as often, as we have had to by finding some common ground on policy as to how we approach these issues going forward.”
County Coun Mason explained that the comments were that of a working man and not ones he would use today but would not apologise for his beliefs, which he said had been “mischaracterised and weaponised”.
He said: “I made comments on social media long before I stood for election, as a private citizen, responding to other people’s posts through a particular period of frustration.
“I did not threaten anyone, I did not call for violence or anyone to be silenced. I spoke against ideologies and institutions and not individuals.
“I have and will always support individual choice. My words were that of a working man from a council estate, a man who has watched his country change beyond recognition, just like millions of ordinary Brits.
“My words were subsequently mischaracterised and weaponised for political gain. Are they the words I would choose to use today in this chamber? No.
“I cannot and will not apologise for the beliefs I was trying to express. Beliefs that are not racist or hateful. They are the beliefs of normal people countrywide and until recently were not considered anything but mainstream.”
Since Reform UK took control of the county council last year it has been mired in racism scandals, which have resulted in former leader County Coun Ian Cooper resigning as council leader in December following a probe into racism allegations linked to social media activity.
Quit
His successor County Coun Chris Large quit as leader of the Reform group on the council following a bereavement, but it later emerged that he was the subject of an inquiry into allegedly racist posts on TikTok.
County Coun Lynn Dean left Reform UK following allegations she posted racist comments about Black people and Muslims on X prior to her election.
Council leader County Coun Martin Murray, explained that Reform UK councillors would not be voting for the motion.
He said that laws and current processes in the council existed and giving groups leaders the power would be undemocratic.
He said: “I do have concerns on this motion – and I really do – because we already have systems in place, we have the complaints process, we have procedures, we have laws.
“That’s where our concerns are. The Opposition has spent the last year chasing this one – it makes you wonder if this is truly about racism or politicisation for a political gain only.
“I have concerns over this motion. Instead of using the due process that exists, the laws that already exist, we get a motion that cannot find purchase through proper argument or debate and seeks to create a wholly undemocratic mechanism, one where a group leader’s belief substitutes that of evidence.”
The current processes were criticised by Green County Coun Jack Rose, who said he submitted complaints in October and was still not getting a hearing.
Independent County Coun Jill Hood said there was no defence for County Coun Mason’s comments and “pure hatred and racism”.
