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25
Jun 2020
Harrogate parish councillor defends 'White Lives Matter' comments
A Harrogate district parish councillor has defended his comments online where he called for a "White Lives Matter" protest.
Cllr Ernest Butler also suggested that people moving to the UK are "taking over" on his Facebook page.
The councillor said people migrating to the country are deleting its history, telling people how to live, what jobs they take and what religions to preach.
His comments sparked much controversy with anti-racism campaigners who took them to his employers.
Read more:
- See what happened at the second Black Lives Matter protest in Harrogate
- When Newby Hall uncovered its links to the slave trade
- Why Yorkshire Tea went viral with its Black Lives Matter tweet
Harrogate Borough Council has received several complaints but said that its code of conduct does not apply when councillors use social media in a personal capacity.
But the council's code of conduct seems to directly contradict that stance:
Darley Parish Council's clerk said he had no remit to deal with complaints but added that he was aware of the comments.
When The Stray Ferret approached Cllr Ernest Butler he was not apologetic about his comments and said he had not done anything wrong.
He added that he has been suspended from his job at Nidd Hall and that he is now facing an employment tribunal over his comments.
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