Police probe follows top Tory councillor’s arrest
Shadow cabinet member for families quizzed on suspicion of assault and harassment
ABIRMINGHAM city councillor has been arrested on suspicion of assault and harassment following an incident in January.
The Post understands his arrest is the talk of the council and local political circles.
Conservative member for Frankley Great Park, Cllr Simon Morrall, aged 33, who serves in the shadow cabinet as member for children, young people and families, was arrested on January 7, and bailed pending the outcome of police inquiries.
He has continued to carry out his duties as a councillor as normal since, including taking part in a scrutiny committee hearing about a special educational needs service last week.
A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: “A 33-year-old man was arrested on January 7, on suspicion of assault and harassment.
“He has been bailed with conditions while enquiries continue.”
Cllr Morrall was elected in 2018, and re-elected last year to serve until 2026.
His duties as the Conservatives’ shadow cabinet member include holding to account the city’s Labour leadership on issues affecting families and young people.
In that role he has particularly spoken out on topics such as criminal justice and the city’s youth justice plan.
He has spoken publicly of the need to give young men the support and purpose to avoid criminality.
He has been vocal too around the issue of violence, highlighting particularly the impact on male victims as well as women.
“Men make up a lot of violence victims but there are very few refuge places for them,” he said during a debate about how best to support victims. “We need to smash the stigma that men can’t be victims.”
He has championed having an international men’s day to focus on men’s issues.
Cllr Morrall has twice got caught up in publicised debates with fellow councillor Nicky Brennan, who is also the West Midlands police and crime commissioner’s Victims’ Commissioner.
In 2020, Cllr Morrall accused her of ‘misandry’ and ‘manhating’ over a series of messages about women’s rights, claiming a third of violence victims are male.
Earlier the same year he apologised after posting sexist comments on his Facebook page while on a night out.
Cllr Brennan had said at the time that councillors were ‘ambassadors’ for the city and ‘such remarks undermine the authority’s ability to represent all residents regardless of sexuality and gender’.
Prior to publication the Post approached Cllr Morrall to offer him the opportunity to comment on his arrest, to give him a right of reply to the public interest issue of a councillor being arrested, and how such a police investigation impacts on his public role as a councillor, his public stance on criminal justice matters and the role of councillors.
We received no response as we went to press.
The Post also attempted to speak to Birmingham City Council’s Conservative group leader Cllr Robert Alden and deputy leader Cllr Ewan Mackey to ask about the group’s position on the public interest issue of Cllr Morrall being under police investigation. We did not receive a response as we went to press.