Councillor faces new storm over social media post
A PARISH councillor in the Holme Valley is facing a new investigation over inflammatory social media posts.
James Dalton, who represents the Democrats and Veterans Direct Democracy Party (DVP) on Holme Valley Parish Council, wrote a tweet suggesting a young girl’s stance on immigration might have been different if she had been raped by a Muslim rape gang.
In a tweet on May 29 to the girl’s father he referred to her as “a self righteous arrogant kid”.
Mr Dalton, who lives in Honley, is now under investigation by Kirklees Council, which is the ‘principal council’ responsible for considering complaints made about parish and town councillors in its area.
He tweeted a reply to the girl’s father after he posted a letter she had written to the Prime Minister praising refugees.
The reply said: “Raising a self righteous arrogant kid there.
“Presumably she’s yet to be raped by a Muslim rape gang that you encourage her to encourage the government to import more of.”
Holme Valley Parish Council said it had received “multiple complaints”, which had been passed onto the Monitoring Officer at Kirklees Council, “who will be responsible for deciding on the outcome”.
Parish clerk Liz Bennett said complaints about Mr Dalton’s latest tweet had been forwarded to the Monitoring Officer at Kirklees Council “and will subject to due process”.
She added: “Clr Dalton has already had the maximum sanctions imposed for a previous breach of the Code of Conduct.”
Mr Dalton did not respond to a request to comment.
Mr Dalton’s rape tweet is his latest social media post to be flagged as offensive.
He caused a furore in June last year when he wrote provocative tweets referring to overweight health workers.
Following multiple complaints, which led to a formal investigation by Kirklees Council, he referred to a Labour councillor as “traitor Remainer #CommonPurpose scum” and a council officer as “Monitoring Nazi”.
Kirklees Council received more than 40 complaints. A source said a tweet had been referred to the police as a hate crime.
West Yorkshire Police later confirmed it was investigating an allegation of malicious communications.
Mr Dalton confirmed he had been interviewed under caution by the police.
Kirklees Council has limited powers to chastise or punish elected members even if they are found to have breached the council’s Code of Conduct.
It has no power to suspend district, town or parish councillors for poor behaviour.
Last year Holme Valley Parish Council announced sanctions against Mr Dalton.
It removed him from committees and working groups and voted to take away his official parish council email address.
Those sanctions will apply until May 2021. Mr Dalton’s term as a councillor runs until 2023.
He was also told to apologise and attend diversity training.
A Kirklees Council spokesperson said: “We would investigate any complaints which we may receive regarding Clr Dalton’s recent activity on social media.”