Jeff Potts, who sits on Solihull Borough Council in the West Midlands, re-tweeted a series of inflammatory comments
A Tory councillor who sits on a religious education committee has been suspended after retweeting a slew of offensive and inflammatory anti-Muslim rants.
Jeff Potts, who sits on Solihull Borough Council in the West Midlands, re-tweeted comments including: ‘Deport and repatriate all Muslims from the UK or watch terrorists kill innocent people for generations to come.’
He also retweeted: ‘You’ve clearly not experienced the Pakistani hospitality, having a daughter raped by men who think she’s ‘white trash’.
There have been calls for the long-standing councillor, who sits as the council’s representative on the standing advisory committee on religious education, to resign.
His suspension from the local Conservative group means he can still attend meetings – but only as an independent.
Cllr Potts stressed he did not share or support the comments, adding that they were a ‘freedom of speech issue’.
That explanation has failed to satisfy the council’s Green Party opposition leader, James Burn, who has demanded the Conservative’s resignation.
Cllr Burn said: ‘His position is untenable.
‘When you start retweeting things about deporting all Muslims you are publicising views that are very close to crossing a legal line and encouraging hatred.
His suspension from the local Conservative group means he can still attend meetings – but only as an independent. Pictured: One of the inflammatory tweets posted by the councillor
‘I’m afraid to say I don’t think he has any other choice but to resign. By retweeting, you are spreading that view and information.
‘I’m concerned about the tweets. I’m concerned this is a councillor on a committee advising on religious education, I’m concerned this is the same Conservative group who have only just been in trouble for a similar incident and did not act swiftly following a complaint about it.
‘A resident brought this matter to my attention as they were very upset and told me he’d contacted Solihull Conservatives on their group email.’
Above an August 31 tweet stating, ‘we wish all Muslims a blessed Eid ul-Adha’, Cllr Potts posted: ‘Why?’
There have been calls for the long-standing councillor, who sits as the council’s representative on the standing advisory committee on religious education, to resign. Pictured: One of the inflammatory tweets
Another incendiary comment ‘UK police covered-up THOUSANDS of girls raped/sold by the religion of peace’ drew the response: ‘Is anybody surprised?’
All the controversial comments have now been deleted.
Formerly a member of the Labour Party, Cllr Potts, who represents the well-heeled, leafy ward of Knowle, has been on the Solihull authority since May, 2012.
He is vice chairman of the council planning committee and also sits on the licensing committee, airport working party and safer Solihull board.
Keen to brush off the controversy, Cllr Potts said: ‘I have no comment on that at all. My public page states I don’t endorse retweets.’
Cllr Potts did, however, explain that the tweets were briefly displayed as a matter of freedom speech. He ‘certainly did not’ agree with those views.
Sabir Hussain, trustee of the Solihull Muslim Community Association, voiced his ‘sadness’ over the remarks that appeared on Coun Potts’ twitter account.
Mr Hussain said: ‘I feel sorry for him because he is misguided and has shown narrow vision.
Bob Sleigh, leader of Solihull Council, said he was initially unaware of the controversy, but, within hours, he and colleagues on the Conservative Group had made the decision to suspend Cllr Potts
‘There is, in any community, religion or sect, bad apples. The Muslim faith is not exempt from that. To retweet something that suggests all are like that is unfair.
‘Retweeting something like that only inflames community relations that we have worked very hard to fuse together.
‘Solihull is a very nice place to live. I have lived there for 35 years and have very good friends among various religions.
‘We find it very comforting to relate to each other’s religions. We are all one together, regardless of colour and shape, and we are one very cohesive society.’
Bob Sleigh, leader of Solihull Council, said he was initially unaware of the controversy, but, within hours, he and colleagues on the Conservative Group had made the decision to suspend Cllr Potts.
Cllr Sleigh said: ‘I rang Coun Potts for clarification and then told him he was suspended from the Conservative Group. I took the action because I believed it was the right action to take.’
A full investigation will now follow.