Cllr Julian Swainson, the leader of the Labour Group on Waveney District Council, make clear in his Twitter account that he is a councillor. The Council is currently Conservative-run but is a minority administration. If Labour gain a byelection on December 19th then Cllr Swainson will be running the show.
Is he suitable to be a council leader?
This was the tweet he sent on October 20th:
“Council chamber game ‘who would you shag if you had to? Looking at the opposing benches…”
Cllr Swainson's follows on Twitter include large numbers of Labour councillors, Labour MPs and Labour organisations such as the such as "the Labour Diversity Fund." Following someone on Twitter does not constitute approval. However none of them appear to have repudiated his remark – which as followers one would have thought at least some of them would have seen. But the Conservative council leader, Cllr Colin Law has written to the Labour leader Ed Miliband asking him to intervene, pointing out that there have been other offensive comments – for instance describing fellow councillors as "bastards."
Cllr Law says:
I am sure that you would understand that many local people would find it abhorrent to have their local council led by a man who treats female councillors and others in this manner. It is important that the conduct of Councillor Swainson is dealt with appropriately and quickly by the Labour Party, particularly as the by election currently underway has been caused by another councillor who resigned when he was about to receive a criminal conviction for sending an offensive communication.