A concerned resident alerted the local Labour Party to the remarks on Facebook by the Reform candidate.
Sexist and racist remarks on now deleted Facebook posts
They include the use of the ‘n’ word, sexist and offensive remarks about new Green MP for Gorton and Denton and plumber Hannah Spencer, and references to former Labour deputy leader and Ashton-under Lyne MP Angela Rayner being overweight.
The now deleted Facebook posts on his personal Andrew Fishwick Mahon account also include homophobic remarks about health secretary Wes Streeting and posts to suggest Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer would appoint paedophiles such as Gary Glitter and Jeffrey Epstein as ministers.
Blackburn with Darwen Labour Party Local Government Committee Chair Cllr Damian Talbot has called on Reform UK to suspend Mr Mahon after a ward resident sent him pictures of the posts.
But the chairman of its Blackburn branch, Tommy Temperley, has declined saying: “Reform UK believes in freedom of speech.”
Concerned resident rings the bell
Cllr Talbot said:
These social media post screenshots were passed to me by a concerned resident of Blackburn South East.
That person wishes to remain anonymous, as such is the offensive nature of the posts published by Mr Mahon they fear reprisal should their personal details be known.
Some of the comments in these posts are absolutely appalling including the use of the ‘n’ word.
Blackburn with Darwen Labour Party has reported these posts to Labour Party Head Office and the matter is being investigated.
The comments made are in our opinion appalling and not befitting of a person seeking elected office.
We would urge Reform UK to suspend this person from the party whilst the matter is investigated.
The resident who spotted the remarks on Facebook said:
These posts are misogynistic, sexist, racist, homophobic, ageist and make fun of real people who have suffered sexual harm.
In the last photos, he suggests Angela Rayner should take ‘fat jabs’ and then agrees that she should be given ‘jabs to end her life’, which is abhorrent and to me illegal.
Freedom of speech?
Mr Temperley said:
Reform UK believes in freedom of speech.
We have discussed these posts with our candidate who accepts that we are getting close to the election and everything he has ever posted will be scrutinised.
If we look at certain candidates in isolation you can find posts that may offend the odd individual.
He makes the point that nothing he has posted is against the law, and raises points that need to be discussed.
An article by Local Democracy Reporter Bill Jacobs.
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