Calls to suspend councillor over 'Hitler' post

Two Labour MPs person called for Reform UK to suspend 1 of its recently elected councillors aft a photograph of Adolf Hitler was shared connected his authoritative Facebook page.

Hyndburn MP Sarah Smith and Blackpool South MP Chris Webb shared a screengrab of a station from Lancashire region councillor Joel Tetlow's account.

Condemning the station connected the councillor's societal media account, Smith said: "During this country's VE Day day week, helium deemed [it] appropriate."

The BBC has approached Tetlow, who told Sky News helium did not "mean immoderate disrespect", and Reform UK for a response. Lancashire County Council declined to remark and said it was a substance for Reform UK.

Tetlow, who represents Accrington North, is portion of the recently elected ruling radical connected Lancashire County Council.

The caller assembly person is owed to beryllium elected by the Reform group's councillors connected 10 May.

Following past week's elections, the enactment present holds 53 of the section authority's 84 seats.

Smith's bureau said the station appeared connected Tetlow's Facebook leafage astatine astir 13:00 BST connected Tuesday and remained disposable astatine 08:00 connected Wednesday.

The station was aboriginal deleted.

It featured a representation of Hitler looking astatine a representation and was overlaid with the words "Why don't we invade them slowly? A fewer men astatine a clip successful tiny boats".

The accompanying substance past read: "Let's beryllium grateful this thought was ne'er enactment to him... oregon the satellite arsenic we cognize it would beryllium a full batch different."

Sky News reported earlier that Tetlow had said successful a connection that helium did not "mean immoderate disrespect" by the station and that helium had been asked to region it by Reform UK.

He said regular boats showed "no signs of abating", adding: "We bash not cognize who these radical are, and I was likening it to an invasion.

"Just arsenic successful Greece they utilized a woody equine to sneak into Troy during the Trojan War, disguising their soldiers inside."

Responding connected Facebook, Smith said she wanted Reform UK person Nigel Farage and the enactment to "immediately suspend" the councillor and for Tetlow to publically apologise.

"During this country's VE Day day week, helium deemed the beneath station appropriate," she said.

"If helium had immoderate respect for this country's traditions oregon the sacrifice that our equipped forces played, helium would not beryllium downplaying Hitler's attempts to invade Britain to people governmental points."

She said Tetlow was "now an elected typical and frankly needs to bash better".

Fellow Labour MP Webb said helium was "appalled" by the post.

He added: "This is not conscionable unacceptable; it is an affront to the values we clasp beloved [as] Lancastrians and arsenic a nation."

He said it was "a flagrant usurpation of the Councillor Code of Conduct and undermines the spot placed successful nationalist officials".

Lancashire County Council declined to remark connected Webb's assertion that the station violated the codification of conduct.

Webb added: "There is nary country for hatred oregon extremism successful our governmental discourse, and we indispensable unequivocally condemn this conduct."