Councillor who made xenophobic comments campaigning for Tories
A COVENTRY councillor who made xenophobic comments has been campaigning for Tory General Election candidates across the country - despite resigning from the party in the wake of his offensive remarks.
Cllr Glenn Williams, who now sits as an independent on Coventry City Council, has been pictured leafleting and smiling alongside Conservative candidates in the run up to the General Election on June 8.
He resigned from the Conservatives last year after the Telegraph revealed Cllr Williams’ immigration rant in a private Whatsapp conversation. In that exchange he said Britain would be “overrun with kebab shops” if Turkey joined the EU, praised Enoch Powell as “a great hero” and said “if you can’t speak English, go home”.
When challenged by the Telegraph, he publicly defended the remarks.
Cllr Williams was later formally censured by the council and sent on sensitivity training. He also formally apologised for his comments.
But, despite resigning from the party in 2016, Cllr Williams has been photographed on the campaign trail alongside Tory candidates Rachel Maclean, standing in Redditch and Jack Rankin, standing in Ashton- under- Ly ne, Lancashire. He was also out leafleting for Tom Dowse, Conservative candidate for Stalybridge and Hyde, Greater Manchester.
But the smiles in the staged photographs for social media were short lived for at least one of the candidates who described herself as “horrified” after learning about Cllr Williams’ Whatsapp rant.
Ms Maclean said: “He did not disclose this. We are horrified and he won’t be helping us again.”
Mr Dowse and Mr Rankin did not respond to requests for comment from the Telegraph.
A spokesman for the Conservative Party said: “His comments were totally unacceptable and he did the right thing when he resigned from the party.”
The Telegraph understands local candidates across the country will be reminded that Cllr Williams should not be campaigning with them in any shape or form.
Cllr Williams did not respond to the Telegraph’s request for comment but, replying to Ms Maclean on Twitter, he said: “Sorry for any issue, I acted on my own initiative to help a friend.
“They had no knowledge of this, plus since last year my views have changed.”