Andrew Walters, an independent councillor for Broughton Park in Salford, has received death threats after proposing the creation of a new town council to address local waste management issues. The plan, which residents have dubbed 'BrePxit', has sparked antisemitic backlash and opposition from rabbis across the country.
Walters put forward the proposal earlier this year, arguing that the area's growing Orthodox Jewish and Haredi Orthodox communities have unique needs that are not met by the current 'one-size-fits-all' approach. Large families, often with ten or more children, produce more waste such as nappies and plastics, yet domestic waste is typically collected only once every three weeks.
The proposed 'Town of Broughton Park' would cover two neighbouring wards with around 10,000 voters. A community governance review was triggered after a petition signed by at least 7.5% of affected residents. Salford City Council received its largest ever response to a public consultation, including both support and antisemitic messages.
Salford's city mayor, Paul Dennett, expressed concern that the proposal could pose a risk to community relations and safety, particularly after an attack on a nearby synagogue last month. In a letter obtained by the Manchester Evening News, 47 British rabbis urged Dennett to veto the plan, warning it could be seen as an 'ethnic' political enclave and generate 'strife, violence and hate crimes'.
Walters insisted the plan was not ethnocentric and that anyone could stand as a councillor. He said the backlash has been exacerbated by the current anti-immigration climate and recent terror attacks. The death threats are under police investigation. The proposal is expected to be voted on by Salford councillors on 19 November.
