A senior Reform UK councillor is facing mounting pressure to resign after controversial social media posts emerged where he described children in care as 'evil' and made other offensive remarks.
Controversial posts and apology
Councillor Peter Mason, who serves on Staffordshire County Council as cabinet member for highways, issued an apology for social media posts made before his election. The controversial content included criticising police as 'British hating scum' and making a racist comment about a statue.
Mason explained that the posts were written during what he described as a difficult personal period marked by grief and redundancy. Despite the apology, political opponents have intensified calls for his resignation.
Political fallout and defence
Philip White, Conservative group leader, labelled Mason's posts as 'abhorrent' and joined growing demands for the councillor to step down from his position. The controversy has sparked significant political debate within the council.
In a dramatic development, Ian Cooper, the Reform leader of Staffordshire County Council, mistakenly sent an email defending Mason to all councillors. Cooper claimed his colleague was facing a 'targeted political attack' and stood by him despite the controversy.
Refusal to resign and ongoing controversy
Councillor Mason has firmly refused to resign from his position, stating that people are entitled to make mistakes, particularly during challenging personal circumstances. His stance has divided opinion among local politicians and residents.
The situation has drawn national attention, with Labour leader Keir Starmer criticising Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as 'utterly spineless' for failing to adequately condemn Mason's remarks about children in care.
The controversy continues to develop as pressure mounts on both Mason and the Reform leadership to address what many are calling unacceptable behaviour from an elected official.
