Councillor in a dress ‘mocking women’s fears’
APLYMOUTH Conservative councillor has been suspended after ‘making a mockery of women’s struggles’ in a social media post.
The Tories have confirmed that Mark Deacon’s suspension is with immediate effect after he posted an image of himself in women’s clothes in response to a proposal for a 6pm men’s curfew by The Green Party’s Baroness Jones.
The suggestion was made in the wake of the disappearance of Sarah Everard, who was kidnapped and allegedly murdered as she walked home in London.
The Plymouth councillor’s post, published on Facebook, has been met with outrage.
Cllr Deacon, who represents Southway, is pictured wearing a wig and a dress. Posted alongside the image is the message: ‘If the Green Party and some Labour Party politicians get their way and impose this ridiculous 6pm curfew on men, then I’m going to wear my dress more often.’
Leader of the Conservative Group Nick Kelly said that in light of the social media post Cllr Deacon has been suspended immediately from the group pending investigation.
Taking to Twitter, one user said: “Really unsettling to see sitting Plymouth Conservative councillor Mark Deacon mocking women’s concerns about male violence, trivialising such a serious matter in an extraordinarily offensive fashion.
“You should be ashamed of yourself.”
Another added: “@plymouthcc Really!? THIS is a PCC Councillor?! Mark Deacon, you should be ashamed of yourself. Couldn’t delete this fast enough, it seems.”
Former Labour Parliamentary candidate for Plymouth Moor View, Charlotte Holloway contacted Cllr Deacon via email urging him to remove the post and apologise.
Cllr Deacon has since removed the post and issued an apology for “any upset he may have caused.”
Also posted on Facebook, it reads: “I wholeheartedly apologise for the comments that I made on a post this Saturday afternoon.
“I didn’t intend any offence that my comments might have caused to a section of the public.”
Many felt the apology ‘wasn’t enough’. Plymouth Labour’s cabinet member for Customer Focus and Community Safety Cllr Sally Haydon said it was “extremely disappointing” to see a senior councillor make what she described as “a mockery of women’s
deeply-felt worries about the issue of male violence.”
Cllr Haydon went on: “It is not befitting of the office of councillor and a member of the shadow cabinet of this council to poke fun at concerns of this nature.
“I welcome his suspension and I hope Councillor Deacon will take some time to reflect on the anger his post has generated, to properly understand why it has caused such offence and offer a full apology for his actions.” Cllr Deacon told the WMN’s sister website, PlymouthLive he would be making no further comment on the issue.