‘I was asked to stay’ says 5G masts councillor

A COUNCILLOR who resigned from Blaenau Gwent’s Independent group, over his beliefs of a link between 5G and coronavirus cases, says he was asked to reconsider the decision by the leader of the council.

Councillor Mark Holland quit the council’s ruling Independent group on Monday, saying “my conscience would not allow me to follow the government’s false Covid narrative which the council supports”.

The Six Bells ward councillor was criticised by the council’s Labour group over promoting theories linking coronavirus cases with 5G masts on his Facebook page.

Abertillery and District Labour Party wrote to council leader, Cllr Nigel Daniels, last week calling for Cllr Holland to be removed from the Independent group.

But after his resignation on Monday, Cllr Holland said Cllr Daniels asked him to reconsider the decision to leave the group.

“I received an email from the Independent group leader asking me if I would reconsider on Tuesday morning,” Cllr Holland said on Facebook.

The leader of the council’s Labour group, Cllr Stephen Thomas, said it was “a bizarre and humiliating turn of events”.

“Having failed to remove Cllr Holland from his group as he should have, the leader of the council is now trying to get him to reconsider his resignation?” he said.

“Abertillery District Labour Party were right to call for his removal, by inviting Cllr Holland back into his group, Cllr Daniels has failed dismally in his responsibility to our community.”

Cllr Daniels declined to comment further.

In a statement issued earlier this week, he said: “The social media posts by councillor Holland are his own personal views. I repeat these are not views shared by myself or any other member of the Independent group.

“As leader of the council, and together with the Independent group, I have considered this matter very carefully and seriously, and have responded fully in writing to the concerns raised by the Abertillery District Labour Party.

“Prior to receiving correspondence from Abertillery District Labour Party I had already consulted with the council’s monitoring officer for advice regarding any potential code of conduct issues.

“As a result of this, we requested that councillor Holland immediately remove any posts that made reference to the council, which has been actioned.

“Any complaints made to the council in relation to this matter will be referred to the Ombudsman for Wales, which is the usual process for complaints in relation to elected member conduct.”