Election fury after Tory shared ‘hate content’ online

LABOUR CALL FOR CONSERVATIVES TO WITHDRAW BACKING FOR CANDIDATE WHO ALSO RIDICULED CLIMATE CRISIS & COVID VACCINATION SCHEME

LABOUR are calling on the Conservatives in West Yorkshire to withdraw support for a senior councillor after his posts praising the controversial influencer Andrew Tate emerged on social media.

Conservative party officials are considering whether to launch a formal investigation into Mark Thompson, who is standing for re-election tomorrow in the Kirklees ward of Birstall and Birkenshaw, over posts Labour say are “highly offensive” and misogynistic.

On his personal Facebook account Clr Thompson, a member of the Conservative shadow cabinet on Kirklees Council, shared a video by Tate with the message “for all young men out there”. In another he says Tate and his brother Tristan are being held in prison “because they teach young men to be masculine”.

The Tate brothers are in detention in Romania, charged with rape, human trafficking and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women.

They are awaiting extradition to the UK and deny all the charges.

In other posts, the councillor described the climate crisis as “bull” and posted a picture of a certificate describing the Covid vaccination scheme as “the greatest psychological fear campaign in human history”.

Andrew Tate was previously banned from various prominent social media platforms for expressing misogynistic views and for hate speech.

Kirklees Council’s Labour leader Cathy Scott says she has reported the comments to the authority’s Electoral Services department after being sent copies by a Birstall mother-of-two who described the comments as “disturbing”. The council confirmed a complaint had been received.

And she has written to the leader of the council’s Conservative group David Hall, saying the party should withdraw its support for Clr Thompson as an election candidate.

In her letter she said: “Can I ask if you or your party share Mr Thompson’s views on Andrew Tate? The people of Batley and Spen deserve better and are tired of toxic political debates dragging the area down.

“It’s deeply troubling to see a current councillor engaging with and sharing content that promotes hate.”

Clr Hall said the posts have been referred to party officials.

He added: “In the meantime Clr Thompson and other Conservative colleagues will continue to campaign on matters which concern residents most.”

Other candidates in the Birstall and Birkenshaw ward are Tahir Akram of the Green Party, Julie Smith of Labour and Louise Walsh of the Liberal Democrats.

All three councillors in the ward are currently Conservatives. Clr Thompson was elected in 2021.

It’s deeply troubling to see a current councillor engaging with and sharing content that promotes hate. Council leader Cathy Scott