Jokes about UFOs at a North Yorkshire Council meeting were a sign “that the truth is out there” about a backroom political deal, it has been claimed.

Speaking at a meeting of the full council today (May 20), Labour group leader, Councillor Steve Shaw-Wright asked Conservative council leader Councillor Carl Les if he would be following the lead of Doncaster Reform member Kieran Lay.

Cllr Lay recently made headlines when he suggested during a meeting of his authority that a safety committee should be set up to look into unidentified aerial phenomena, more commonly known as UFOs.

The Labour councillor’s apparent joke at the expense of Reform colleagues was picked up by other members, including Independent councillor Andrew Williams, who asked for clarification on whether UFO stood for ‘unidentified flying objects’ or ‘unidentified funding origins’ — an apparent reference to the £5m received by Reform leader Nigel Farage from a wealthy supporter.

Cllr Shaw-Wright later explained he was making a serious point about how the authority might respond to a similar request to set up a working group, although he did also add that he was that old that to him UFO was a “really, really good European rock band”.

In response, Cllr Les said he could understand why councillors in Doncaster might have concerns about UFOs as they “might impact on their excellent scheme to reintroduce an international airport”.

He added:

“Even the longest runway in the north can’t be expected to cope with flying saucers and jetliners at the same time. However, I do think that the bigger risk here, especially to Doncaster Airport, is the identified flying objects in their council chamber.”

Labour-Tory alliance claim

But the original question was not appreciated by the authority’s Reform councillors, who said it showed Labour councillors had “given up” on opposition in North Yorkshire.

At the same meeting, Labour councillor John Ritchie was selected to be deputy chair, in a move which opposition councillors had predicted.

They claimed prior to the meeting that the appointment was being made as part of an alliance between the Conservative administration, which no longer has a majority on the authority, and the Labour group — a claim rejected by both Conservative and Labour leaders.

Reform group leader, Councillor Tom Seston said after the meeting that rather than talking about UFOs, Cllr Shaw-Wright could have asked a question “on one of the multiple council projects that are currently struggling around North Yorkshire, about the council doing more to help with the cost of living, or he could even have passed comment on the recent leadership chaos within the Conservative group”.

He added: “Both the Conservatives and Labour have denied a backroom deal has taken place.

“I would suggest that Labour placing this petty political jab above genuine scrutiny, along with the recent history of abstentions, is proof that the truth is out there.”

Reform councillor Mike Jordan added: “Nationally, we’re seeing chaos from the Labour Party and on a local level they’re descending into making petty political points over talking about real issues.

“I would suggest that Cllr Shaw-Wright, and the Labour Group, needs a close encounter with reality.”